Find Your Way Back
by suspensegirlinc
Summary: 5x11   - a series of oneshots in every episode the rest of S5 of when CB could get back together.
1. 5x11

A/N: Obvs. CB will not be getting together any time soon, the end of the season if we're lucky. I've been thinking about doing this for awhile, since sometime during the break I think, and it's finally here. This will be a series of oneshots of when CB could get together in every episode the rest of the season, 5x11 on. Enjoy & please review. This first one starts after Blair gives Chuck her "explanation" and DS make it back to the Waldorf's in 5x11.

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

…

They'd popped in a movie, some romantic comedy she'd found behind a stack of old-time Audrey Hepburn. Now Dan had fallen asleep on the couch beside her. His head was turned away from her as it fell painfully curved over the side of the couch. There was a light pang inside her that was disappointed he wasn't facing towards her with his head on her shoulder, giving her the flutters that had erupted when they'd kissed at midnight. She was the only one that had felt sparks then. It was obvious, since two seconds after their lips parted, he'd turned his head back in Blair's direction, watching as she kissed her prince and as a heartbroken Chuck made to leave.

Her heart ached for Blair. She knew how terrified her best friend was for Chuck's life, but no matter what she'd said, she was convinced there was no other alternative than to marry Louis and to stay away from Chuck, because that was what she'd promised.

It had been hard from the beginning to believe Blair had genuine feelings for Louis. Even now the love she supposedly held for him seemed to be faltered. It was forced, and Louis was the only one who couldn't see it. He couldn't see that the only reason she was so devoted to him now was because she felt she had to be.

Maybe that wasn't fair. Blair probably did love Louis. But not the way she loved Chuck. She'd never love anybody, not even Dan if he had gotten the chance, the way she loved Chuck. That's what made this so tragic. The cab nearly running Chuck over, according to Blair's retelling, was surely coincidence. But with how intensely Blair believed in this pact she'd made, she couldn't see that clearly, and there seemed no way Serena could convince her. That was why she'd made up the story she very much wished could be true – her and Dan, together again.

She knew there was one person who could convince her though. Just like when push came to shove, only Blair could turn Chuck around.

This would be breaking the promise she'd made, to keep Chuck in the dark. But those two belonged together. God could surely understand that. He had to. No one was more meant to be than Chuck and Blair. If Blair actually married Louis, it could never be undone. They could never be saved. Chuck would sink into the darkness again, and there would always be some part of Blair that would the regret the decision, whether she had done it for the good of Chuck's wellbeing or not.

She took a deep breath and stood to her feet. Before leaving, she grabbed a blanket on the opposite chair and snugly covered Dan with it. She looked at him longingly and then grabbed her coat and headed for The Empire.

…

He didn't turn to see who had entered when he heard the ding of the elevator. It had been awhile since Blair had left, but he didn't believe it could possibly be her returning. She'd made it loud and clear that though it broke her heart, there was no way she could be with him and she wasn't going to fill him in on the details. There was no reason for her to return, especially not so soon, an hour or later or not.

The high heels caught him by surprise and for a moment he thought it might just be her. Even Monkey perked up and spun around to see who was there. He padded across the room to welcome the visitor.

Chuck's expression thinned to indifference.

"Serena."

She pursed her lips and walked towards him, setting her purse on the low table in the middle of the room.

"Taking time off from your incestuous fling just to visit me? How generous of you."

She continued the short trek towards him, stopping a safe distance away.

"There's something I think you should know," she said, ignoring his bitter jest.

He raised his eyebrows.

"It's about Blair."

Instantly, his attention became entirely focused on what she was about to say. He'd still been half looking out the window in resentment, confusion and a pain he was trying to hide with her present ever since she entered, but now the desperation in him was the only thing palpable on his face.

"You know why she refuses to be with me."

She hesitated, averting his eyes for a moment.

"Why she's suddenly completely gone bipolar and is using the bogus excuse that the crash put things into perspective."

"I…well…"

"_Serena_."

Her eyes flickered up to his at his demanding tone. She couldn't back down now. If things didn't work out between her step-brother and her best friend, it would take a long time for Blair to forgive her. She didn't like breaking promises, especially not to Blair. At the same time though, she couldn't watch the two of them be so heartbroken when the problem could easily be fixed.

"It did put things in perspective," she said carefully, "but not in the way you think."

His eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

She took a breath and braced herself.

"I shouldn't be telling you this…" she finally let herself admit out loud.

"You should have thought of that before you walked in the front door."

He was right, she reminded herself. There was nothing left to do but tell him.

"We should sit down," she said, gesturing to the couches behind her. Chuck's eyes glanced briefly at the furniture and then returned to hers.

"No," he said. "I can take it, whatever it is."

She eyed him, nervous suddenly. Her arms felt chilled.

"Serena," he pleaded. "I have to know what it is, and to somehow save her from it. I…" he lost his breath. "I can't lose her, not when I know that she really wants me to be with her, that _I_ make her happy and I'm all she needs."

She nodded, feeling such sorrow for him – and for Blair, that she needed no more convincing.

"After she woke up at the hospital and was told that she lost the baby…and that you hadn't woken up…she was distraught."

Chuck watched her closely, letting himself sink back into those memories of him in the hospital.

"She went to the chapel there," she continued, "and…she made a pact with God to stay with Louis and away from you if He let you live."

"_What_?" he whispered, completely blind-sided. He certainly hadn't expected that.

"Almost instantly, as Blair tells it, a nurse opened the doors of the chapel and told her that you were asking for her, and you were awake."

He shuddered and made his way slowly to the couches in the center of the room, as Serena had previously suggested. She followed him and sat down across from him.

"She's staying away with me because she believes…"

"—that her breaking the pact will make God lash out and kill you."

He shook his head in disbelief as his eyebrows furrowed. "But that's crazy. It was modern medicine that kicked in, not God."

"That's what I told her. But apparently she's been going with Dan to church every day – hence the pictures of them – in order to try and find a way around the pact. I guess she saw you one day and you almost got hit by a cab crossing the street. She took that as a sign that she can't fool around with a way to get out of this pact she's made."

Chuck shot to his feet.

"I have to talk to her."

"No, Chuck—"

"You came here to tell me so I'd convince her that she could be with me, not just so I would get the explanation as to why she refuses to be near me or explain herself, right?"

Hesitantly, she nodded. "Yes, but—"

"You knew I'd fight for her, that now knowing the truth there is nothing else I could do."

She sighed and nodded again. "Yes."

"Well, then, you should feel relieved, not guilty."

Her head reared back a little, wondering how he'd read her mind.

"Thank-you, Serena," he said, moving past her.

She was shell-shocked and the chills rippled through her again. By the time she turned to see him leave, the elevator doors were already closing behind him. Despite the fact that he'd made an offhand remark to relieve her of her guilt, she still felt the heavy burden pulling her down. She sat back down on the couch, consumed with what had just happened. She didn't even know if Blair was home yet. And what if Dan woke up and tried to shoo Chuck away, probably succeeding because unlike her he'd be able to keep his promise to Blair.

She sighed and sunk farther back into the cushions.

Monkey came up beside her and then hopped onto the couch, placing his furry head promptly on her lap and nudging her hand in an effort to get her to pet him. A small smile appeared on her lips as she sighed again. She lifted her hand and began to stroke his fur.

…

It was almost eerie in the foyer. Chuck heard the distinctive groan of a half-asleep Dan Humphrey and knew he had to take action. He didn't know what the guy was doing here, but he knew well enough that avoiding him would be smart if he ever wanted to get to Blair tonight. He could face the confrontation if necessary, but he'd rather he didn't have to. He still didn't have a clue as to what he was going to say to Blair. That took up enough energy as it was.

As quietly as he could, he climbed the stairs and made his way down the hall to Blair's bedroom. Bracing himself for confrontation now from her, and possibly more tears, he took a breath and knocked lightly on the door. When he could hear no movement going on from inside, he figured she must be sleeping. He turned the knob slowly and moved inside.

She _was_ sleeping. Or, at least she was curled up under the covers, facing the opposite direction. Louis was nowhere in sight. _He must have dropped her off earlier_, he gathered. It had been awhile since they'd last seen each other. The long drive over had been painful for him to sit through.

Gently, he closed the door behind him and made his way towards her in the shadows.

"Blair?" he whispered.

He saw her move, if only slightly, but she said nothing. He removed his shoes and padded toward the bed. He circled to where her face was turned and glanced down at his beauty, her eyes wide open as she stared at the blank wall across from her.

"Go home, Chuck."

"I am home," he said in a choked whisper.

She closed her eyes and when she opened them, they were gazing down at the floor.

"I'm not telling you anymore, Chuck."

"You don't have to."

Fear and the feeling of betrayal snapped through her. Serena had told him, after she'd sworn she wouldn't, and after she'd even gone so far as to fake a relationship with Humphrey at the party.

She turned her face to look up at him.

"Then you know why we can't be together."

He shook his head slowly and then got down on his knees beside the bed.

"No, I don't."

Her eyes watered. "Don't you understand? If anything ever happened to you—"

"Nothing will."

"How can you say that?" she asked, feeling as if she was about to break. Just a few moments earlier she'd been indifferent and certain she could get him to leave if she stuck to her resolve, but now he was forcing her to face the facts she hadn't been able to tell him earlier and she hated it because it was making her weak. She couldn't back down now, but it was so hard because he knew everything now.

"Because it's true," he said soothingly and yet with more confidence then she'd ever seen in him. "Blair, I've almost been killed three times and survived all of those times."

"I didn't make a pact for the _others_."

"Blair, I didn't wake up from the car accident in the hospital because you made a pact with God to stay away from me and marry Louis. If anything, God made me wake up because he saw what you were willing to sacrifice and granted you your wish."

She sat up now, irritated that he was making her go through this.

"Then how come that cab almost hit you the other day right when I was reconsidering my decision? Father Cavalia told me that the terms of my pact could only be handled between God and myself. Only seconds later you were nearly hit by a cab in the street."

"Bad driving? Me not looking both ways? Me not walking at the crosswalk? It's all coincidence."

She sighed roughly. "You don't understand."

"I do," he said, taking her hands. "I can't imagine what it was like for you, losing your baby and then almost losing me on top of it, but…" he rubbed his fingers lightly over the back of her hand. "God wouldn't want you to marry Louis just because you feel you have to."

"I love him," she insisted, going for the tactics she'd used before they'd gotten together.

"But he's not the one you never want to leave."

She met his gaze and sighed, deeply wanting to sink into his arms and pledge her life to him again. Instead she shook her head slowly.

"I'm sorry, Chuck. I can't risk it. If something ever happened to you, I would blame myself for the rest of my life, no matter what anyone said." She looked down at her hands, her heart sinking when she realized Chuck was no longer rubbing the soothing circles that had started to relax her. "It was divine intervention. I have to keep my end of the bargain."

"And what if I did something to myself?"

She looked up at him. "_What_?"

"What if I was the one to cause an 'unfortunate accident'?"

Her eyebrows furrowed in desperation. "Chuck…"

"I could drink myself into a stupor. Over the years, it would kill my liver. Or, I could always find myself on a rooftop, say…Victrola?"

"You _wouldn't_."

"I could. Watching the love of your life walk down the aisle and marry a man you both know she shouldn't be with can really wreck any sort of growth a man has made."

She straightened. "I told you not to let this ruin all the good. You've completely turned your life around."

"Because I thought I wasn't good enough for you, and not being with you would be giving you your happy ending. You would be a real princess."

Her lips parted, her eyes intent on his, darting back and forth in their intensity.

"But you proved to me, in the back of that limo, that I was worthy of you. There is nothing I wouldn't do now to have you."

Her mouth snapped shut.

"You tell me what's worse. Feeling guilty over an accidental death that might happen? Or watching me watch you live a life _we_ could have had together."

She sucked in a breath. "Chuck…"

"You tell me."

She shook her head, nearly closing her eyes when the tears started to pour forth. "I don't want you to die. Can't you see that? I just…I wouldn't be able to handle it. I—I might resort to killing myself just so I could be properly punished for breaking God's trust."

"No. That wouldn't be it and you know it."

Her exasperation overwhelmed her. "_Chuck_," she nearly shrieked.

"You would kill yourself in return so you could be with me. Not because you felt guilty over breaking a pact."

"_No_."

"Yes."

Helplessly, more tears rolled down her face.

"Because in that scenario, you wouldn't have broken the pact, but you would have allowed yourself to think you hadn't done enough by staying away and in doing what you thought was proper punishment would actually be betraying what you originally thought you had to do."

She stared at him, trying hard to put together what he was saying. A tight desperation still warred inside her, but the determination on his face and in his words ignited a small flame of hope inside her. _Keep going_, she begged. _Give me a fool-proof reason to change my mind_.

"Don't you see?" He tightened his grip on her hands and raised himself to sit on her bed beside her. The heat of her covered legs burned him. It was almost as if he could taste the air she breathed. He swam in her scent, still too far away.

"You're caught."

Her bottom lip quivered. He took one of his hands and cupped her chin between his fingers. Her eyes closed briefly at his touch.

"Chuck…"

"God is testing your love. He's seen your sacrifice, and now he's granting you peace by showing you the only way out is to let me in."

She swallowed hard, desperately wanting to believe him.

"You could be good," she said. "If you were good, and I kept my pact, everything would be fine. Nothing bad would happen."

"You're wrong."

"Prove it."

He leaned forward and swiftly kissed her, pulling her towards him with his hand wrapped around the back of her neck.

"Chuck—"

He persisted, covering her protests with more of his slaughtering, sweet kisses.

"Chuck—_Chuck, no_—" she cried.

"_Trust me_," he breathed into her mouth.

"No…no…" She tried to shake her head but he was all over her now, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her. She felt so safe in his arms. She wanted this. She wanted it so badly.

But she was scared.

"Chuck—" She pushed at his chest, but instead of backing off he used his weight to press them into the bed. She gasped when his lips traveled down to her neck and his teeth nipped at her skin gently. She gave in, tears rolling down her cheeks. This was the moment of her life, but she was weak and she needed this.

He rose to rid himself of his jacket and belt. It gave her time to leave if she wanted it, or to push him out of her room. He felt the sweat beaded on his forehead at allowing himself to take such a risk.

But she made no movement to get him to leave. Instead, when he'd finished the small task, she grabbed at the collar of his shirt and pulled him back down to her. She kissed him heavily and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him still closer.

"_Blair_," he groaned.

She moaned and tears still flew from her closed eyes.

"_Chuck_," she made out on a choked sob.

"I love you," he muttered roughly against her skin.

She cried in response, shaking.

He warmed her with the heat of his body, and soothed her with repeated confessions of his love.

She let him take her. She let him have all of her. The fear that had engulfed her since returning from Europe seemed to evaporate. In the dark recesses of her mind, she wondered how long it was last. She had broken the pact. But all she could feel now was Chuck.

….

She woke up early the next morning, the events of the night before slamming into her as she realized her head lay on Chuck's bare chest and their legs intertwined. Reluctantly, she unwound herself from him and slid off the bed, wrapping herself in the sheer, white robe at her bedside.

She went into her bathrobe and shut the door, breathing slowly as she stared down into the sink. It looked odd to her as she turned on the water and washed her face. She looked at her face in the mirror after it had been washed and dried. Except for the fear in her eyes, she looked better than she had in weeks without her make-up on. If she let herself ignore the fear she had for Chuck's safety, she could tap into the unbelievable happiness and security she felt just hearing him say he loved her and feeling his body pressed up against her. It'd been so long since they'd been together like that, and the security she felt in his arms was beyond reassuring and comforting. She suddenly sobbed at the thought of parting from him forever again.

She covered her hand over her mouth and took a deep breath, brushing aside the tears. She turned away from the mirror and sat down on the closed toilet.

"God," she whispered shakily, "give me a sign. Please let me have him." She shook as she slumped forward and poured her tears into her hands covering her face. "I don't want this life without him."

Suddenly, she heard movement. She lifted her head and crossed the bathroom to her side. She leaned her head against the door and pressed her ear into the wood. Chuck was talking on the phone.

"What?" he asked groggily into the phone. "What?" he asked again, this time more alarmed but still with obvious reluctance to get down into the matter. "Okay. Yeah…I'll be there. Just…see if you can manage things for today. Make an apology to the guests and—what?" Blair was alerted at his first real shock. "Oh my…wow." Euphoria echoed in his voice and her heart beat faster. "Yes, be sure to clean things up. I'll stay put till tomorrow. Call me if things get out of hand. Right. Bye."

The shock was still evident on his face when she cautiously walked out of the bathroom and to where he sat on her bed.

"Chuck?"

His head turned to her slowly and a small smile that sent shivers up her spine formed on his face.

"What is it?" she asked.

He turned the covers over him and climbed out of the bed. His eyes still glowing, he walked towards her.

"There was a storm last night…" he shook his head slowly, dazed. "Lightning struck The Empire several times."

Her eyebrows furrowed in concern, now wondering why he was so dazedly happy.

"Everything is fine. No one was hurt. The power is just temporarily out, and so arrangements are being made for the guests as the mechanics come in and things get worked out with the electric company."

Her brows furrowed, still confused.

"You're not telling me something."

He looked directly at her now, the glow in his face slowly traveling to her own.

"The worst of the damage was in the penthouse. The lights burst. The one in my bedroom started a fire on my bed."

Blair gasped, covering her hand over her mouth.

"If I hadn't been here, I could be in the hospital now. Or dead."

Fear raced across her face and a sensation she couldn't quite define.

"If that's not a sign what is." He smiled slowly.

She threw her arms around him, hugging him close.

"Clearly, God is threatening you now."

She pulled back to look into his glittering eyes.

"Be with me or I die. Then again, maybe it's just coincidence." He shrugged.

She almost laughed, smacking him lightly.

"That's not funny."

"No," he said, "but is it what you need?"

She thought about her desperate prayer in the bathroom and felt the reassurance she'd been seeking. God was releasing her from her promise. Her mind scattered to a vague old story told from the Bible. An old man granted a child in his old age and told to sacrifice him by God. He'd had everything to lose in that child, but to prove his trust and loyalty to God, he'd gone full force ahead to kill his one and only son. An angel had stopped him at the last second. God was pleased with his dedication and willingness to do whatever he asked, because he was his Lord, and so released him from his promise.

Peace and an overwhelming joy filled her heart and spread throughout her entire body as she realized she was that man. Chuck was still safe, even in her arms.

She looked up into his eyes, unable to close her mouth for the wide grin it showed. She started nodding her head rapidly.

"Yes, yes, yes," she continued, almost giggling.

Chuck picked her up and spun her into a circle. The happiness that consumed him almost made him burst. He was so unbelievably happy. She was his again. Blair was finally his. For real. He would never lose him again. She was everything he ever wanted and needed, and he was the same for her. They would be a family. She'd said they always would be. And now, released from her belief, they finally could be.

He set her back down and cupped her face in his hands, her smiling eyes triggering the butterflies explosion in his stomach.

"I love you, Blair," he breathed.

She nodded rapidly still.

"Marry me," he demanded, tears of relief welling up in his eyes.

"Yes," she breathed. Then she cried out and threw her arms around him again. "_Oh God_, _yes_. _Chuck_!" she cried out. Then she pulled back, eyes dancing with tears and stroked the side of his face. "Yes…" she whispered, shivering with overwhelming joy as she touched his soft skin.

Then, she looked up into his eyes, which were now hooded and heated, much to her surprise. It did not take long for the moisture to glisten the dark curls between her thighs. Chuck took one step forward, pressing one leg between her two and groaning quietly as he felt her wetness on his knee and covered her mouth with his slaughtering kisses.

He turned them and they fell together onto her bed. He groaned and pressed himself against her. He made love to her and refused to leave the bed for hours.

Later, she reminded him that his hotel probably had some serious damage done to it and she had yet to break off her engagement to Louis. Reluctantly, he left her, but they met up for dinner and he proposed again, this time with the Harry Winston he'd repurchased as soon as he'd been able to when he emerged from the hospital. He'd been sure he wouldn't lose her, and he was right. It was always them.

It would always be them.

…

A/N: So, I think this is pretty good. Heh. Please review! ;p I know I've been pretty sporadic in writing things and keeping to multi-chaps but I've really lost my motivation, so…I'm trying. Hopefully 5x12 will be up soon. =)

*Also, the Bible story reference at the end was to Abraham & Isaac in Genesis. Just so you know I'm not making stuff up. XD


	2. 5x12

A/N: There were a couple different scenarios that occurred to me for this episode, but I decided to go with the originally intended Drunk!Blair-Chuck collision from Beatrice and her deceptive beau, Father Cavalia. Enjoy. ;p

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

…

It wasn't easy to get there before the call to Serena was made. She was most likely #1 on the emergency contacts lists, and even as a future sister-in-law she couldn't beat that. She wasn't even aware as to where the jail was.

This wasn't how things were supposed to happen. Or maybe it was. She had let half of the doings of the evening up to her quasi-boyfriend, Father Cavalia. She had never thought he'd go so far as to get her arrested though. Wasn't the goal just to get her drunk enough so that she wouldn't have a clear enough head to resist her one true love, Chuck Bass, when she was dropped on his doorstep? It seemed to her getting Blair arrested was hardly an easy route to make it to The Empire.

"I can't do this anymore," she said quietly into the phone.

"You have to."

"I can't. I don't want to hurt anyone else."

"How is this hurting anyone? In the big picture, Blair gets to be with her true love, your brother does not succeed in gaining the throne, and I lent the royal ear. There may be some heartbreak between your mother, Louis and Blair for awhile, but in the end it'll be all for the best."

She mulled over what he'd said, just as she'd done the whole ride there and every moment since Blair had told her the situation with Chuck. She hadn't told her all the details, but she didn't need to. There was something standing in the way between her and Chuck that couldn't be pushed aside even if the entire union between her and Louis was teared to shreds.

She was starting to think that was much like her own predicament. Only it was clear that while she wanted the throne and Cavalia, Cavalia himself was only interested in using her to get what he wanted.

"_Beatrice_."

She heard a distinctive sound on the other end and realized he was trying to get her attention. She was still unsure of which route she would go, because she was suddenly very aware of the fact that the difference between her forbidden romance and Blair's was that Blair and Chuck were madly in love with each other and wanted to be together. Even if a one-night stand couldn't be the end all guarantee to bringing them back together, maybe it was a start.

But she didn't know.

So, she just hung up.

Then, she circled round to the front desk with a friendly smile on her face.

"I'm here to pay the bail for Blair Waldorf."

….

She was unceremoniously pushed out of the elevator, nearly falling over herself as she grasped for any steady surface that would keep her from coming face-to-face with the hardwood floor. She finally found the edge of the low couch, but tumbled over it onto the floor, just missing the coffee table in front of it. She groaned.

The muffled "_Ow!"_ was unmistakable.

Beatrice lingered in the open elevator until she saw to it that Blair had climbed up enough to be laying across the couch she'd just fallen over. Her heart was beating fast and guilt was consuming her, but aside from all the heartbreak, the annoying words Cavalia had told her were right, as far as Blair and Chuck went. She'd seen a connection between them since the moment they'd met. She'd never seen that in regards to her brother.

When she was sure Blair was safe, she released her finger from the elevator button and let the doors closed.

She texted Cavalia, whatever he was to her now, to let him know what had happened. She couldn't stand the sound of his voice right now. He responded with a quick quip. Chuck was on his way over. All she had to do was get out of there within the next twenty minutes.

_Done_, she thought. The need to get out of there was imperative now.

Back in the penthouse, Blair finally raised her head after several long moments of dead-sleep.

"Beatrice?" she murmured. When the silence descended, she sighed loudly and propped her head in her hand. "Beatriiiiiiiice." She huffed when there was still no response. Turning on the couch, so she could see her surroundings, her mind came up with a total blank.

"Where am I?" She ran a hand through her hair roughly, causing the little do to get tangled in her fingernails. She whined when she realized her tiara was missing.

"This is not funny, Beatrice!" She stood to her feet too fast, stumbling over the heels she'd deemed classy enough to wear to a place she never should have gone, never would have in her right mind.

She huffed, finally making it to the elevator doors and pressed the button. Just as the doors were opening, she caught the moonlight from the other side of the room, and even in her drunken state it all fell into place.

That window.

That chair.

That table.

That…_face_.

_"I'm pregnant. It's…Louis'."_

_ "I'm not here because I've changed my mind…we can never be together."_

The elevator doors closed behind her without her knowing. In a shockingly sober moment, she sunk to the floor as she stared at that spot across the room, seemingly unable to remove her eyes from it.

_ How many times had she hurt him in this place?_

Twenty minutes later, the doors opened again. Blair's eyes glazed over, but she snapped to semi-attention when she heard the sound of male shoes on the floor. It stopped almost immediately. Her gasp had probably given it away, she gathered.

"_Blair_?"

An incredibly sexy, concerned, flustered-looking Chuck Bass stood before her, and she knew in her drunken state she could easily lunge at him and dismiss it in the morning.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

He raised his brows. "What am _I_ doing here? I live here."

She scoffed, but then looked at her surroundings again and decided he was telling the truth.

"Oh."

He sighed and came to her, lifting her up by her shoulders and then into his arms. She protested for about .2 seconds before nuzzling against his chest and playing with his tie. She hummed merrily and drooled on his shirt.

When they made it to the guest room, he kicked the door open and set her down on the bed.

"Where are we?" she asked, frowning as he pulled away, if only to steal the covers from under her and wrap them around her tiny frame.

"In the guest bedroom," he said.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "_Where_?" she asked, confused.

He shook his head and stood to his feet. "I'm going to call Serena. Stay put."

"Wait!" she stretched her hand out to keep him from leaving, nearly falling off the bed in the process. He caught her.

"What?" he asked, both amused and concerned by her sudden outburst. Reluctantly, she let him settle her back in her prior position on the bed.

"Why are you calling Serena?" She frowned.

Now he was amused. "Because you were arrested, and Serena found out via Sister Grimaldi after she'd paid your bail and taken you away."

"Serena paid my bail?" she asked, sounding confused. "Why isn't she here then? She should be here."

Chuck smirked. "I'll be right back."

She nodded slowly, though still confused as he patted her hand with his own and left the room.

Several minutes later, he returned, surprised to see her still awake and looking straight at him, now turned on her side.

"What'd she say?" she asked curiously.

He smirked at her innocence. "She said that as long as I don't try anything scandalous, you should stay here till morning. Since you were already in bed."

"Did you tell her I was asleep?" Her brows furrowed.

"I may have." He shrugged.

"You liiiiiiied." She sounded like a little tattle-tale so much that it humored him to no end. It was a shame he didn't have this recorded.

"Not necessarily, Waldorf. I thought you were going to be asleep. With how drunk you got, you should've been asleep be the elevator when I got in."

She sighed dramatically. "Oh yes…I remember that."

He smiled softly and leaned forward, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. He tucked the covers snugger around her and brushed the hair out of her face with his hands.

"Get some sleep."

She grabbed his hand again, this time more gently as he started to leave.

"Wait."

He looked at her, his eyes soft and willing.

"Stay."

Shivers ran through him.

"I don't think that would be a good idea, Blair."

She looked at him for a long time before pulling him down by the lapels of his jacket and kissing him soundly on his mouth. He was clearly taken by surprise but he did respond until she broke away shortly afterwards.

"You're a good guy now, Chuck, remember? You won't take advantage of me." She patted his chest lovingly.

He laughed. "After _that_ kiss?"

She batted her doe-eyes up at him. "Pwease, Chuck?"

He eyed her skeptically, weighing his options.

"Think of it as a test!" she said, suddenly excited.

He gave some sort of a half choke-half laugh sound and shook his head incredulously.

"Pllllease, Chuck," she begged again, this time pulling him down and just nestling herself against his chest as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I've missed being so close to you so much." She sighed. And if he wasn't mistaken there was a trace of almost tears in her voice. Practically on the bed as it was, his mind was made up.

"Alright," he said. "Just let me change."

She had slowly begun to loosen her grasp on his neck when his last words registered.

"No! Don't leave me!" And now she _was_ crying.

He choked out a muffled laugh-cry. He wished she were sober now. Any declaration or life-changing decision they made now wouldn't be worth a thing once she woke up in the morning.

He shrugged out of his jacket and slipped out of his shoes all while her arms were still tightly around his neck.

"Okay," he soothed. "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere." She sniffled, nodding her head against his neck. Carefully, he moved over her until he was on the other side of the bed and under the covers. Almost instantly, she came to him, crowding as close as was possible, her head beneath his chin and her arms together inside his heated embrace. She sighed contently.

"I'm never going anywhere, Blair," he whispered, rubbing her back. "Know that," he said, fighting for her still, even if it wouldn't matter in the morning. It wouldn't change anything.

"I've missed you, Chuck," she murmured.

His heart clenched. _Why couldn't this be real?_

He let out a desperate sigh. "I've missed you too, Blair."

She sighed contently. "I wish it could always be like this…"

His eyes shut fiercely. He was so furious with the whole situation. It was tearing him to pieces. Because if she was sober now he probably wouldn't be able to be so close to her, but with her drunk…

He'd been in that situation before. It was always different in the morning.

"It _can_ be," he said. For all his wasted words, he couldn't let it go.

"No, it can't…" she sighed sadly, playing with his tie between them.

A light went on inside him. While she probably wouldn't break off from her conviction that they had to be apart, her guard wasn't as high at this point in her mentality. It was more likely now than ever that he'd get the explanation from her he'd been craving for the last week.

"Why?" he asked cautiously, holding his breath.

"Because God said so." She sighed dramatically again.

"_What_?"

Maybe this was pointless. She could start making up things.

"I made a deal with Him when you were dying…" she yawned.

Logic told him this was not made up information, whatever else it might be.

"Yeah?" He prayed she wouldn't go to sleep on him when he was so close.

"Mmhmm. And look, now you're still here." She nestled closer again.

"What was your deal with him, Blair?" he asked, playing with her hair softly.

"Oh. Just the usual…" she trailed off, yawning.

"Enlighten me," he said, trying not to sound as desperate as he felt.

"To keep my vow with Louis and never be with you. Obviously."

Comprehension dawned on him. He suddenly 100% knew that she was telling the truth.

"Blair…"

She yawned. "Yeah?"

"You know you don't have to keep doing that."

She giggled. "Silly Chuck, yes, I do."

"You don't," he said again, desperation starting to show through in his voice.

"I do."

"No."

"Yes!" she suddenly shrieked, her head rising up so swiftly it almost knocked Chuck's chin in a different direction. That was the moment he realized now was not the time to discuss this, no matter what progress he had made.

"Can we at least talk about this in the morning?" he asked, careful to keep his face some distance from her.

She sighed and crumpled into him again.

"Yeah, I guess so."

_Okay. _He breathed. _Progress._

He relaxed, and they both fell asleep.

…

When she woke up the next morning, it wasn't because somebody had come in and deliberately told her to get up, or shaken her. There was no alarm. There was no normal awakening on her apart either though.

She felt someone or something come into the room and she froze, scared beyond belief. Where was she? Was she at home? Had a burglar come in? Was someone coming to kidnap her? Why wasn't the alarm going off?

She opened one eye and saw it was Chuck Bass wheeling in a tray of delicious goodies, amongst them some disgusting-looking green drink. Instantly, she told herself she wouldn't drink it, but she knew he would force her to and that she should.

Peace replaced the fear she'd been feeling when he sat down on the bed beside her and offered a cup of fruit. For a moment, she let herself revel in the feel of their fingers barely touching on the cup. She saw the sweetest and most comforting of smiles on his face when she finally looked into his beautiful hazel eyes. Her heart beat faster. She wanted to keep this moment forever. She never wanted it to end. The worst part was that she knew with one word she could guarantee it. If she told him she'd changed her mind, they could be frozen in this peace until…_death did they part_.

That broke the spell. She took the cup fully from him and popped a grape in her mouth.

"What happened?" she asked. The question was casual but _loaded_.

"You got arrested," he said, unable to hide his spreading smirk.

"What?" the orange juice she'd opted for squirted out of her mouth and onto Chuck's cheek at the outburst.

He sighed, and took a napkin from her plate to wipe off his face. She made no apology.

"You were drunk, Blair. And from what I saw, someone gave you drugs and you flaunted them about when cops happened to be walking down the street."

She flushed.

"Beatrice, who you're apparently very good friends with, dropped you off here. When I got home and found you on the floor by the elevator, I called Serena and she said if I behaved myself, you should stay here, since by then I'd already tucked you in."

"And did you?" Her eyes narrowed, glaring at him even after his face portrayed perfect innocence. "Behave yourself?"

He smiled. "I've changed, Blair."

"With recent incidents, I would think you'd allow yourself to slide back a bit," she spat.

He raised his eyebrows. "As hard as it may be to believe, I was going to leave you in here to sleep, but you insisted I stay in here and sleep with you."

She looked horrified.

"In the strictly _sleeping_ sense," he emphasized.

"Hmph." She slumped back against the pillows with her arms now crossed, but knew she believed him. He wasn't likely to lie to her over something as big as this.

"Here. Drink this." He lifted up the disgusting green drink and offered to her. Her nose scrunched up. He rolled his eyes. "You're hungover. Drink it." With the realization that her head was suddenly pounding, she decided to take his advice and managed a little sip. Then she set it back down on the tray and looked up at him as if waiting for the next step after succeeding in the last task. He shook his head and smirked at her, but took the tray and set it down on the table beside the bed.

"You're going to want more of that later if you ever want to _completely_ recover."

"Yes, well, I don't think I—" The headache hit her harder straight on when she tried to rise up from the bed far too quickly.

"Whoa. Whoa. Sit down. Slowly…" He helped her lower herself back onto the bed. She sighed.

"So, what, I'm just stuck here now?"

"Well…" he gestured to the tray. "you could always drink that green nastiness."

She shuddered just thinking about it, her nose scrunched up all over again. She chanced a glance at Chuck when she didn't want to think about it a second longer and caught him gazing dreamily at her. Shivers raced up her spine and she was caught there, once again in that glorious, beautiful, unreachable moment of peace, tranquility and love.

"Chuck…"

"You said we could discuss something this morning," he prompted.

"What?" she asked. For the life of her she couldn't remember a thing from the night before. She wondered if that was more from the hangover or the tiny sip of that green disaster on the tray a safe distance away. She decided to go with the green disaster since that would give her some leverage as to why she should stay away from it. Then again, maybe she didn't want to know what had happened last night.

"I know about the pact, Blair," he said, dead serious.

Her blood ran cold. He couldn't know, could he? Oh god, that's what she had told him the night before.

"I was drunk, Chuck. Nothing I said could've made any sense."

"You're right, Blair. It didn't make sense, because it's _ridiculous_."

She gave away the truth of what he'd accused her of by her irritated response to his conclusion.

He grabbed her hand and held onto it tightly. "_Nothing_ is going to happen to me if we get together."

"No?" she asked, disgusted by his certainty.

"_No_," he insisted, his eyes dead set on hers.

She shook her head, feeling so tense she wished she could have that pounding headache back just to get out of this painful, unchangeable, unrelenting situation.

"Blair, you kissed me last night."

"You molested me! I knew it!" She started getting up again, but then the headache slammed back and she decided she didn't want it after all. She groaned and leaned her head back on the pillows again. The bastard had set it up this way on purpose.

"I didn't molest you, Blair."

"Well, it couldn't have possibly been consensual," she scoffed.

He smirked at that. "If it _had_ happened, you know it would have been."

A sigh escaped her. She hated when he was right.

"We didn't sleep together, Blair; not like that."

"Well, that's something, I guess."

"Blair…"

"No, Chuck, I'm not changing my mind." Her brilliant dark brown spheres shot up to his. "You were dead. You almost got hit by a cab last week when I was trying to find a way around this pact. I'm not risking your life anymore." She stood up carefully this time and reached for the nasty green drink. She took another tiny sip.

He caught her arm when she tried to walk further away.

"I'm not changing my mind either, Blair. I love you. You're it for me."

He such a romantic and right now she hated him for it. All she wanted to do was jump into his arms and tell him the exact same thing.

"At Victrola," she said, gravely serious, still hating the memory of what he'd almost done then. "You almost jumped off that building—"

"—But I didn't."

"Because I told you not to. I told you I wouldn't be able to bear it." Slowly, he released his grip on her. "That hasn't changed." His lips parted. He looked so hopeless it nearly killed her. "Maybe you can't control it now, but I can."

"No," he said, standing to his feet. "Blair, you can't completely dismiss this as modern medicine not kicking in. You can't say it wasn't coincidence that had a car slamming on its breaks when I was crossing the street last week. Have you even considered that maybe God _stopped_ that car from hitting me to let you know it was okay to let go of your bargain? That it was done now?"

She blinked. "I…" _No_. She hadn't considered that possibility. "That's…"

"A possibility," he said. His face was starting to light up. "Blair, maybe you just…maybe he just wanted you to do it right. Maybe he just needed to see that you were able to sacrifice me in order to have me."

"I thought you just said it was all modern medicine and coincidence," she mumbled.

He smiled and cupped her folded arms at the elbows. "You pick. Either one makes more sense that you hurting yourself, and me, by insisting on staying away."

She sighed longingly and looked up at him. "Chuck…"

"Say it, Blair. Tell me what I'm saying couldn't possibly be true. Tell me it's not possible that you're misinterpreting these 'signs'."

Her mouth snapped shut.

"You can't."

She started to shake her head, but pushed him away when he leaned in to kiss her.

"No. I need proof. I've already given you mine. You almost got hit by a car. What's yours? You have theories. No proof."

"You kissed me," he said. "And I'm still among the living."

Disbelief colored her features. "That wasn't even 24 hours ago. There's still time to—"

"Kill me?" he smiled.

"_Chuck_."

He nodded. "Alright. You want proof?"

She nodded once.

"How about this is the third time I've almost died and every time I survived it's been because of you. Why would God keep us apart if us together is the reason I _don't_ die?"

Her lips parted. "You don't know God's mind."

He grasped her arms again. "Neither do you."

Helplessness colored her features. "Chuck…"

"I know you want proof. I know you want to be sure, because you don't want to lose me. I would feel the same in your situation."

Her mouth shut, feeling some reassurance in his empathy toward her.

"But I also know that I kept giving up on us when it got too hard, or when I was scared, or when I didn't feel like I had enough proof to keep me from believing otherwise. I apologized for that, because you never gave up on us when I did. Don't start now."

"Chuck…"

"Blair." He cupped her face with his hands. "If you make this decision, you're going to regret for the rest of your life."

He waited while her heart raced. His blood pounded as she swam through a million thoughts and emotions, trying to find what was right. She closed her eyes and put her hands on his, pulling them away from her face. His chest felt hollow.

She prayed.

_God, tell me…if I can do this._

A breeze flew through the room and shivered her so intensely that she felt herself subconsciously going into Chuck's arms. She opened her eyes and the breeze suddenly stilled.

"Did you feel that?" she asked.

"What? The breeze?"

She smiled softly, hope reigniting in her heart. "Yeah, that."

She lifted her hands to the nape of his neck and intertwined her fingers with the hair there. She pulled his face down and kissed him. She felt alive for the first time in months. Every nerve-ending in her body was set on fire. She could breathe again.

When she pulled away and looked into his glittering, smiling eyes, she bit her lip at how simply adorable he was whenever she took him back.

"Would you call me crazy if I told you I considered that a sign?"

His sigh of relief and plunging tongue into her mouth told her _no, never, not in a million years. Not when you're mine._

They tumbled back onto the bed and gloried in each other the way they'd wanted to the night before. Even in her drunken state, she'd wanted it. Surprisingly, the quick tumble did not cause her head to ache fiercely like every time before. She decided to take that as a sign too.

She knew it was more than 'signs' though. In love you took risks. Because two people meant to be together always finds their way back. That's what's selfish about them, and what is completely unavoidable.

"I love you, Blair," he professed, showering her with kisses. She shivered in his arms.

"So, I'm not crazy?"

"No." He laughed. "You can believe whatever the hell you want." His head rose suddenly then. "Except that you can walk away from me." The dead seriousness in his face made her love him even more. "You can't ever believe that again."

"Never." She shook his head. "As long as you love me."

She choked a half cry-half laugh. "I'll never stop loving you, Blair. Going on four years and the butterflies still refuse to die."

A great lightness took over her and she wrapped herself tightly around him, pressing her face side-to-side with his.

"I love you too, Chuck. I've always loved you. I'll never stop loving you."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"You'll never leave me?"

"I'll never leave you ever again."

"Until death in old age do us part?"

She laughed and pulled back to look at him and into his sparkling eyes.

She nodded. "Until death in old age do us part."

Then she kissed him and the door shut, leaving only the breeze in its wake.

…

A/N: I was going to have it be a "one-night stand" for the night part of it, but I like this better. It's more mature of Chuck. XD Please review! =D 5x13 to come soon!


	3. 5x13, 5x11

A/N: So…I watched the 5x17 Canadian promo two nights ago and actually lost sleep over it. It was horrible. (I'm still trying to cope with this new abrupt turn in the Chuck/Blair/Dan storyline.) I realized then that the Blair I know and love is gone. She's turned herself into Claire Carlyle from Dan's book and so is suddenly in love with him and not with Chuck. Which makes no sense whatsoever. Especially since it literally seems to have happened overnight. So, until this whole whatever it is finishes itself up, I'm going to be having a hard time writing these CB reunions 5x17+, but I shall try and persevere! I said I would try to make sense of these ridic episodes and I will. *nod* No matter how hard it is. *gulp* Also, there's another CB reunion to 5x11 at the end of this chap. I've thought about it for awhile and just had to write it down!

This fic starts right as B's pushed away all the protesting and is about to go down the aisle. ;P I would've done her running away with Chuck at the end, but then the dowry would be in effect because she's married and I honestly thought her running away with Dan was a good thing. She needed a friend right then, not another love-complication to deal with, and going with Serena would've been too suspicious in Louis' eyes, so…yes. Heh. Anyways, on with the story! =D

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

…

She was fidgeting. It was bad.

She'd made the decision. She'd decided it was for Chuck's own good. She'd made it through his determination to get her out, because he loves her and she loves him. She'd managed to sway not only Serena but her own mother aside for the sake of Chuck's well-being. Still, she could not get Serena's words out of her head…

_"I know you think you can't be with Chuck because of the pact you made with God, but maybe the pact is just an excuse you're using to protect yourself from the messiness and uncertainty of a life with the man you really love."_

An excuse? Was that possible? She'd known from the moment he left her room, saying he wasn't the groom that she wanted him to be. She'd wanted him so badly. She couldn't be with Louis. She couldn't. Not when she could have Chuck. Not when he'd changed so much and he was everything she could have ever wanted, but still the Chuck that she'd fallen in love with and the one who'd fallen in love with her.

But then the accident happened, and she was terrified. The overwhelming feeling of loss and loneliness when she'd been told she'd lost the baby and was very near to losing Chuck threatened to kill her alive. She didn't want to live if feelings like those were the only ones she'd have to look forward to. To hell with being a princess, even if the prince was now under control. What kind of life could she really have without Chuck in it? If she'd kept the baby, at least that would have been some incentive and reason to keep her happy and carry on with her promise to marry Louis.

As fate would have it, Chuck's life had been granted to her after a desperate prayer and she ended up losing him anyways. And her baby. Now she was faced with the reality that she didn't actually love Louis. The fairytale she'd always desired as a little girl was finally before her and there wasn't a single thing about it that appealed to her. Even the publicity, gorgeous wardrobe, a palace to live in, and a blossoming friendship with her prince's sister felt empty to her now. They were nothing. All she wanted was Chuck, and the only thing keeping her from being with him was herself.

Was it all an excuse? Being with Chuck was always a risk, even after it was clear he'd more than turned his life around. He was _perfect_ now, or as near perfect as anyone could possibly get, and he was so completely in love with her it made her heart hurt to think of how much he must be hurting by being denied her and her denying him.

It was bigger than anything else she'd used before, and maybe God actually did save him, but was she just running scared of _them_ too?

She took a deep breath and walked slowly to the door. Her fingers fumbled with opening the door. Her heart was pounding in her head. She could barely breathe and for some reason she felt even more scared now than she'd been with keeping her fact these last few weeks. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes, finally pushing the door open.

"B?"

Her eyes opened to see Serena's worried face staring down at her.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. "Are you ready? Everyone's waiting…"

_ "Yes, but they also want you to be happy, which you won't be if you go through with this."_

"Get him," she whispered urgently.

"Wha—"

"Get. Him."

Her eyes widened. Then she nodded rapidly and quickly ran back out into the hall. The dim calling for _Chuck, Chuck!_ had Blair stepping farther back into the room. Within moments, her knight in shining armor was standing before her. He looked like he had been running.

They stood staring at each other for the longest time. Then slowly he started walking into the room.

"Tell Serena—"

"I told her," he said, not breaking her gaze as he shut the door behind him.

She swallowed, and when the silence became unbearable, she walked towards him, stopping when they were a breath away. His mind raced as he watched her, waiting for her next move. He didn't know what the hell to think, but he hoped this scene would end well.

"Did you change your mind?" he breathed. He felt his fingers suddenly shaking at his sides.

She nodded her head slowly. "Yes," she returned in the same breathy, urgent tone.

He let out a relieved breath and pulled her to him by the back of her neck. The feel of her lips on his own, tasting him, reveling in the feel of him set him on fire. Her hands cupped his face, then moved back as her nails dug into his scalp and she pulled at his hair to bring him closer. His tongue plunged deep into her warm mouth. He felt her lipstick rubbing off on his own face.

Finally, she pulled back, breathing heavy as she stared into his intense stare.

"Take me away from here," she said, her fingers curling into the fabric of his jacket.

He nodded quickly, even as she spoke, kissing her deeply once more before discreetly wiping his face of her lipstick and grasping her hand tightly. Just as he turned for the door, he stopped and pulled her into his arms. He breathed in the fairy scent of her hair and nuzzled his face against the feather softness of her neck.

"I love you so much, Blair," he whispered huskily.

She bit her bottom lip and leaned her head against his own, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled away and there were stars in her eyes.

"Leave the veil," he said, hardly aware of what he was saying. She lifted it off, still lost in his eyes and very unaware of her own actions herself.

"Should I change?" she asked.

He shook his head. "There isn't time. We have to leave before they come look for you."

Her eyebrows furrowed suddenly. "We shouldn't tell anyone?"

"No," he said, a smile slipping onto his face. "Let's make this really romantic." He smirked and pulled her to him again, kissing her hard and then turning for the door again. He stuck his head out, looking both ways. The hallway was surprisingly empty, so he pulled Blair out and started to lead her towards the backdoor. Blair looked behind her when they were almost to the door and saw Serena. At first she thought she would stop her, if nothing more than to ask where she was going, but she only smiled. She saw the sparkles in her eyes and knew there was nothing more perfect than this moment.

Chuck opened the door of the limo for her and she stepped gracefully inside, feeling more like a princess than she had in the last year. When the door was shut behind both of them, Chuck turned to her, his eyes gleaming.

"Where should we go?" he asked, looking like an excited school boy on the first day of summer.

She smiled blissfully and leaned towards him. He followed suit and kissing her softly.

"Anywhere."

He smiled, his heart pounding with overwhelming joy, more than when they'd ever reunited before. Reluctantly, he turned to his driver and told him to drive…just drive. All the love within her heart was still evident on her face when Chuck turned back to her. He pulled her close and held her in his arms.

"Promise me you'll never leave me again. Not ever."

"I promise." She pulled his face down and kissed him passionately before leaning into his warm body. "Never again, Chuck. For life."

He held her, his mind still racing, almost in disbelief that this was actually happening. But he wasn't about to question it. After months without her and weeks of her insisting they could never be together, he finally held her in his arms again and she'd promised him her heart and life forever. He knew now this was what he'd wanted since he saw her jump up and give him a striptease right in his own club the night of its opening. He just hadn't known it then. He'd been scared. Now he was anything but.

"I love you, Blair," he murmured, his lips pressed to the top of her head. "I always have."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, shifting herself so she was sitting on his lap. Goosebumps covered her arms and legs, sending shivers down her back even as she felt his hands holding her at her thigh and mid-back. Her fingers flitted lightly across the side of his face.

"I love you too."

….

**(A/N: Starts right after Chuck leaves the NYE party)**

**5x11 – 2.0**

The look on his face killed her as he watched her kiss Louis and walk away. Even as she stood with Louis, trying to enjoy what was left of the New Year's Eve party, she couldn't bring a smile to her face. Even when she looked at her fiancée, the smile she gave him was so strained. She wondered if he could pick it up. He'd tried to talk to her a few times about the accident, and the miscarriage, but she'd been so reluctant to give any information, even false information that it seemed he had given up. Part of her wished he'd try just a little bit harder, but part of her wanted him to just leave her alone. He loved her and that had to be enough, because she didn't have enough energy anymore to love him back. Chuck always took whatever she had out of her, no matter who he was doing, good or bad. She loved him too much, but there was nothing she could do about it. Only when she was with him could she feel really alive and at ease. His love gave her strength, but now all it was doing was tearing her apart, because she was the reason for his pain and it hurt her so badly.

"Do you want to go?"

She lifted her head and forced another strained smile.

"Sure. Just let me say good-bye to Serena."

He smiled at her in understanding and nodded, watching her walk away. She couldn't wait to get to Serena. It wasn't that Louis suffocated her. It was that she had to keep up this façade with him and now Serena knew everything. She wished she had told her sooner. Dan had been nearly perfect as her confidante, but Serena was her sister. She was family.

"S!"

The blonde turned towards her, glancing briefly at Dan and suddenly seeming as eager to get to her as she had been to escape Louis. Blair didn't even get a chance to give Dan a thankful smile. Since that wasn't her purpose in pulling away her best friend though, she let it slide. She'd spent nearly every waking second with him since she'd returned from her time away with Louis.

"Hey, what was that?" she couldn't help but briefly asking.

"What? That? I—"

"Nevermind," she cut her off. "I need to talk to you."

"What is it, B?" she asked, concerned, as she led her to the far side of the room.

Blair took a deep breath. "I'm leaving now. With Louis."

"B…"

"I know what I'm doing, but…I…" She was suddenly shaking.

"B." She stopped the shaking by grabbing hold of her upper arms and rubbing up and down her fair skin. "Are you sure…"

"No," she said, her eyes snapping to her best friend's worried stare. "Convince me," she whispered. "Somehow give me…some…something to convince me. I…"

"Oh, B…" She pulled her close.

"I can't…_breathe_..without him." She pulled away and looked at her, the saddest look on her face Serena had ever seen. "I don't want to lose him, and I…I just know that…that he's going to…if I…but right now, the way that I…"

"Oh god, B." She held her tightly. "Go talk to him," she said urgently.

"Oh, no, S, I couldn't."

"Talk to him," she urged. "More than anything he wants you to be happy."

"Which is why—"

"_Go_," she said.

Blair pursed her lips. Serena nodded in encouragement.

"What about Louis? I have to talk to him. I can't keep him hanging like this. Letting him wait around while I see if Chuck and I can still be together isn't fair to him. He'll never take me back if he finds out."

Serena bit her lip. "Do you really love him, B?"

"Of course I do."

"Are you sure?" She grabbed onto one of her best friend's hands and held on tight. "Think about it. If you don't really love him, maybe you shouldn't be with him either way."

She looked up quickly. "And be alone?" She quivered.

Serena shook her head slowly. "You don't need a man to not be alone. You've got me and friends and Dorota." She smiled.

"So then, Chuck…"

"He's the love of your life, B. I think that's a valid exception."

She nodded slowly.

"Go talk to him."

They hugged once more and smiled softly. Then Blair left her to head for the elevator. Serena saw her share a few words with Louis, but he didn't look upset at all after she left. That made it clear no significant exchange had taken place, unless he really took Blair breaking off their engagement that well, which she doubted.

She was worried, but decided not to pursue a conversation with Louis. It was something Blair needed to do on her own, regardless of what was happening around her or what she thought might happen to the one she loved most.

…

He hadn't been drinking this much since before he started going to therapy. He'd been cured of this bad habit, just like he'd been of sleeping around. He'd bettered himself and everyone around him was better for it, but the moment Blair had come to the conclusion that he was who she truly wanted and he had become the man that could really take care of her, he'd lost hold of that tightly held self-control he'd developed during the months before the accident.

It wasn't that he'd completely relapsed or even really at all. But he hated how easily he slipped into his habit of drinking scotch so frequently. He'd nearly become alcoholic after his father died, and then after every time Blair left him. With therapy, he'd been able to hold a tighter leash on that. Did that mean he could only be a better man when he wasn't with Blair?

No.

He just hadn't been prepared for her to take him back or for her to even really want him again, let alone believe he was the best guy out there.

He just…had not been ready.

_Just one more drink tonight_. Tomorrow he wouldn't drink at all, and then he would be fine. He would be in no condition to win Blair back if he had sunken back into his old habits again.

Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw something as he tilted the bottle of scotch back upright and set it on the table. A chill and then a heat rippled through him. He looked up and there she was.

His beautiful angel. His precious queen. His sassy vixen.

_God, she looked gorgeous._

He hoped this was it. He could already feel his heart racing, because she hadn't come willingly to him since before the accident. He could almost feel how her lips would press against his again.

His jaw dropped and he breathed out excited relief when he realized she was actually there and not a hallucination.

"Blair, thank god, do you know what you've been putting me through?"

She stopped suddenly, watching him, frozen.

"No, I…"

His heart stopped. He didn't want to be wrong. He knew it was possible with everything he'd gotten from her since he'd woken up from the accident, but the excitement had risen up in him just now, and… _He didn't want to be wrong_.

Hesitantly, she took another step towards him.

"I need to talk to you."

His breath was caught in his throat. This was some sort of strange limbo between yes and no and he didn't know what to do with it or how to act to progress it in his favor.

"Oh…okay," he managed, gesturing towards the bar. Even as she moved across the room and slid onto the barstool, he found himself mesmerized. Even in his confusion and anguish.

_She was so goddamned beautiful._

Once he was seated beside her, she looked up at him, intoxicated by his very proximity. She reached across the table and took one of his hands in her own. She closed her eyes, chills rippling through her when he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. She opened her eyes again when his lips did not pull away.

"I want you, Chuck." Her breath got caught in her throat.

"Blair," he choked, suddenly standing to his feet and pulling her to him. He kissed her hot and heavy, shoving his fingers into her hair and assaulting her mouth with his full lips and tongue.

"I love you," he muttered against her mouth. "I love you so much, Blair."

"_Chuck_," she moaned into him, whimpering with her need for him. "_Wait_." She finally managed to pull away.

"What?" he asked, breathing heavy and leaning his forehead against hers and swaying them. "What is it?" He couldn't believe she was his again. He just couldn't believe it. It had been too long since he'd held her like this.

"I…" She cleared her throat and pushed herself farther away from him so she wouldn't give in to him halfway through her explanation.

"What is it?" he asked softly, gently tucking a curl behind her ear and intertwining their fingers together. She had shivers.

"I don't know if I can stay…"

He went cold inside again. _How many times was this woman going to make him lose his sanity?_

"Well, don't _leave_ me," he pleaded, exasperated.

He tried to say something more but nothing would come out.

"I made a pact…" she said.

His eyebrows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"Can we…" She tried to pull away so they could sit back down, but her attempt was feeble and the heat radiating off of him, the love pouring out of him in waves made success impossible. She bit her bottom lip and looked up at him.

"When we were in the hospital…when I woke up, after they told me about…" she swallowed hard, "the baby…" His sad eyes flitted across her face and his fingers caught up in her hair, stroking the silk. "They told me about you…about your condition. You nearly died." Tears filled her eyes.

"Hey, hey," he soothed her, cupping her face in his hands. "I _didn't_. I'm _here_."

She searched his eyes, looking so deeply into them she thought she would drown. "Because of me," she said.

"Yes," he said, nodding. "I survived because of you."

Her breath got caught in her throat and she shook. His concerned eyes roved over her and he gently led her to a seat at the bar. She swallowed hard and drank the water he brought for her. He smoothed his hand over her own and then kissed the back of it again. It was a comfort to her. She didn't want to lose it. She didn't want to lose any of this.

"No, not like that."

He frowned.

"I…" she sighed and looked up at him. "I went into the chapel at the hospital and prayed for your life if I'd keep my vow to marry Louis and never be with you again. And, as soon as I finished that prayer, a nurse came in and told me you'd woken up."

Hopelessness stretched across his face. "Blair—"

"That's why I've been avoiding you…and trying to make it seem like I don't care, like we didn't matter, like it was all some giant mistake. I…I'm just so afraid of losing you."

He pulled her close and held her. "Blair, you're not going to lose me. I swear."

She pulled back. "But what if I am? The other day I saw you walk across the street just when I was thinking about breaking my promise and a cab almost hit you in the street."

"Blair." He held her face in his hands. "You have to take this risk."

"Chuck…I could never forgive myself if something happened to you. I would blame myself for the rest of my life. You…" she sighed, "you matter to me more than anyone or anything else in the world."

He leaned forward and brushed his lips softly across hers.

"I knew you still loved me."

She gave out a choked cry and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"Of course, Chuck. Of course. I could never stop loving you. You're…you're everything to me."

He nuzzled his face against her neck and in her hair.

"You have to take this risk, Blair," he whispered.

"But Chuck…"

"Because if you don't, you're going to regret that the rest of your life. More than you could ever regret losing me. If I'm supposed to die, I'll die."

"Chuck!" she cried. He pulled back to look at her.

"But we're supposed to love each other, and it would be the worst fault in the world if we didn't take advantage of that."

She sighed shakily.

He gripped her shoulders and looked at her intently.

"For the rest of our lives."

She nodded and smiled softly.

"Okay," she said.

He smiled in return and leaned towards her. "Okay," he murmured, and kissed her.

Before the kiss intensified too much, Blair broke away. "One more thing," she breathed heavily.

"What's that?" he smiled, kissing down her face and onto her neck. She shivered in his embrace.

"I need a sign."

He pulled back and looked at her with another frown of confusion.

"I just need to be sure."

He nodded once and pursed his lips.

"I have an idea."

Her intrigued expression encouraged him.

"You haven't told Louis you're leaving him yet, have you?"

"Well, no…"

"Let's tell him."

"What? _Now_?" she gawked.

"It's another car ride. Just like before the accident, except this time no paparazzi – probably – and no faulty brakes. If I survive this – if we survive this – then it's a sign."

She looked extremely unsure, the risk involved scaring her to death.

"Hey, Blair."

She looked back at him.

"You have to take the risk."

She took a deep breath and then nodded. He pulled her into his arms and held her for awhile.

So, they went to the limo and they drove back to the New Year's Eve party. When they couldn't find Louis, Serena suggested going to the Waldorf's. He wasn't there either. They finally located him at a nearby hotel and Blair broke the news. Chuck waited in the lobby, prepared to defend himself if Louis came to pummel him into the ground.

But Louis only looked calm and calculated when he walked out of the elevator. He stopped and looked at Chuck for a moment and then he kept going. Blair followed, but stopped where Chuck stood. She turned his face away from where he was looking at Louis and kissed him.

"Wait." He pulled away. She looked up at him questioningly. "You want to be sure, don't you?"

She nodded, her eyes wide. "Yes."

"Well, wait till we get home."

Her heart warmed at the thought of being at home with him.

"Okay."

It didn't last. She'd risked it. He was safe. They were together. For good.

She seduced him in that limo.

And again when they got up to the penthouse.

"Thanks, Chuck," she said late into the tonight. "I couldn't have taken that risk without you."

He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

"Thank-you for loving me so much," he said huskily. "You won't regret it."

She lifted her head up to look at him and threaded her fingers through his hair.

"I never have."

She lowered his lips to his and kissed him sweetly.

Her body molded perfectly to his, as he tucked her beneath his chin.

_It always had_.

…

A/N: I really should've had this version of 5x11 in my first chapter. I like it much better. XD Anyways, review both please! =D I really like how 5x14 went down, so it may take me awhile for me to come up with something, but…hopefully it won't take too long. Though, my depression over 5x17 may prevent writing CB temporarily.


	4. 5x14

A/N: Please don't say anything about tonight's episode (5x17) in your review to this chapter! I haven't seen it yet. I'll probably watch it tomorrow, but I want to see how many chaps of this I can get in before watching the new ep. It's going to eat at me knowing I can watch it & am putting it off, which is why I may or may not have up through the 5x16 chap posted before I watch, but we'll see. Hope you enjoy. This starts at the beginning of the episode before our first real DB soon (or rather instead of ;)).

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

….

Five minutes passed and he began to get edgy.

"Where are we going?"

Her uneven breathing made him nervous.

"Blair?"

He glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

She hesitated a second before briefly returning his gaze.

"The Empire."

He took a breath and then pursed his lips, turning at the next corner to change his course.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" he asked fifteen minutes later, giving her the space she clearly needed.

She looked out the window, her eyes glazed over.

"Louis doesn't love me anymore."

His eyes widened, alarmed.

"I'm sure that's not true."

"That video was the last straw," she said calmly, as if in a daze.

Dan shifted uncomfortably. He hoped his face hadn't paled, or worse, reddened.

"I've put him through too much in this relationship. Just goes to show I shouldn't get involved with someone when I'm clearly still in love with Chuck and just angry at him." She turned her head to look into the mirror at Dan's face.

"Being in a relationship with someone else while we're 'waiting' for either one or both of us to get our act together has never had long-term positive effects." She laughed at the irony. "We're just so lonely without each other, you know?"

He looked up, catching her gaze. His heart clenched.

"Yeah," he said, quietly nodding.

….

"Doesn't look like he's here," he said softly.

Blair didn't move. They'd been there for ten minutes. It'd taken that long for Blair to realize he really wasn't there and that maybe he wasn't coming back.

She took a deep breath and smiled in irony.

"Thank-you for your brilliant insight, Humphrey."

"Just trying to be helpful," he offered.

She huffed and walked to the other side of the room, seating herself at the bar.

"Well, you're not."

"I'm sure he's coming back. He probably went to go see you again—"

"Well, that doesn't help matters at all either if that's the case. Then we're both in the wrong place and it'll only be a matter of time before Louis realizes I'm gone and comes to find me."

He hesitated, but decided to put himself out there one last time.

"I can take you anywhere you want to go. And I'll stay with you. No matter what."

She looked up at him and smiled softly, showing gratitude for the first time since he'd driven up to St. Regis in the car that had been designed to take her away on a romantic honeymoon with her real-live Prince Charming.

"Thanks, Humphrey, but you're not the one I want." She turned to look out the window, as if she could see Chuck coming down the street should he arrive, as if his limo looked different from any of the others. "No offense."

He nodded, and muttered, "None taken."

The elevator ding! interrupted their depressing conversation. Blair stood suddenly and Dan turned to see who had arrived. Out came Chuck and Serena in a rush. Without so much as glancing at Dan or waiting for Serena to embrace her best friend, Chuck gave out a choked sigh of relief and made straight for Blair who was stock-still standing by the window.

"_Blair_." He embraced her, holding her close. Then he kissed her hard. "Please tell me you came here on purpose," he whispered as he held her face in his hands.

Exaltation flowed throughout her entire building. She nodded excitedly, biting her bottom lip.

"Yes. Yes. Yes. I made a _horrible_ mistake, Chuck. I never should have married him."

"_Oh, Blair_." He groaned, kissing her again.

Standing by the elevator, Dan shifted awkwardly. Serena stood just a few feet away and looked at him with what he couldn't tell was gratitude, intrigue or disdain.

"You should have told me," she said.

He didn't say anything, just looked up briefly and nodded his apologies.

"What now?" Chuck asked when she'd finally pulled away from his many sensuous kisses. She was breathing heavily.

"What now?" she smiled.

He found himself smiling back at her. Finally, his life was perfect again. When she was in his arms, nothing could be wrong.

Her eyes widened suddenly though and he was troubled.

"What is it?"

Blair looked over his shoulder to Serena. She released Chuck and walked towards her.

"S, does anyone know you're here?"

"I told Eleanor we were going to look for you, but she didn't know where."

"Yes." Chuck interrupted and sighed. "She did. I told her."

Serena closed her eyes in anguish. Blair turned around in a blur of fury and panic.

"Why would you do that?"

His eyebrows narrowed. "She was worried about you. No one could find you…"

She shook her head. "This is bad…this is bad." She walked towards him, grasping his hands once she was within reach. "We have to get out of here."

He nodded, not even bothering to question the announcement.

"Anywhere," he said. "I can have the limo drive around in front in five minutes. We can take it to the helipad and go anywhere you want."

"No," Serena interrupted. "Running away won't fix anything, B."

Blair was racked with nerves. "But…the dowry…" Hopelessness colored her features.

"I'll pay it," Chuck said.

She turned back around as quickly as before. "_No_. Chuck, you can't do that for me. I won't let you."

"I'm the only one who can afford to pay that much money, Blair. And I won't lose you." He pulled her close. "Not when we're so close."

Her bottom lip quivered and her eyes watered but she shook her head. "No. I won't let you _buy_ me from Louis."

He choked out a strangled breath. "Well then what?"

"I…"

The elevator doors opening again stopped her. She was frozen in fear until she saw who it was.

"_Mom_." She stiffened. "I can explain."

"There's no need." She walked towards her. "I'm the one who brought Chuck to stop your wedding. I'm certainly not going to complain about you running away from your reception to be with him."

Blair relaxed a little, actually smiling. Then she remembered.

"The dowry," she said, joining her mother where she stood.

Eleanor waved the issue off as if it wasn't the slightest problem whatsoever.

"Never mind it."

Blair gawked. "You can't afford it, mom. I won't let you lose your business over this."

She smiled, joy welling up in her heart at the spirit of her daughter.

"I signed the contract, darling."

Blair's brows furrowed. "What? I specifically remember signing it."

"Yes, and then I asked for another copy to look over and I signed it, ripping yours to shreds. They never noticed. Those terms were _ridiculous_."

Her jaw dropped.

"Since I wasn't the one who married Louis, the contract doesn't apply. No dowry needs to be paid."

Blair embraced her mother, tightly pulling her close.

"Oh, _mom_. Thank-you so much." The tears finally trickled down her face. Serena bit her bottom lip from where she stood, caught up in the moment. Even Dan managed to look somewhat happy for Blair's happy ending.

Chuck walked forward, a breathtaking awe on his face as he took in Eleanor.

"I can't tell you how much this means to me, Mrs. Waldorf."

The older woman smiled at him, her heart warming as she watched him wrap his arm around her daughter's waist protectively.

"I only want my daughter to be happy, Charles."

His smile shared the same sentiment.

"With how much you've changed…I knew she could only be happy with you." She looked back and forth between the happy couple and then nodded. "I'll go explain the situation to the Grimaldis. Why don't you two get out of here?"

Blair nodded excitedly and threw her arms around her mother once again, murmuring her love and thanks against her neck.

"My beautiful Blair," She stroked her hair as she looked on at her daughter. "I love you so much. Be happy."

Blair nodded, all smiles as her mother finally turned to leave.

"Take care of my baby," she demanded of Chuck. He nodded seriously.

"I promise."

Serena came to hug her best friend before she left. Blair felt the chills crawling all over and through her.

"Thank-you," she whispered.

Serena just smiled sweetly. "You're my sister," she said simply.

The brunette even let Dan hug her before they left.

When they were alone, Blair turned back to Chuck and held him close. She kissed him again, moaning into his mouth. She felt alive once more in his arms, like all had been put to right.

"You're still alive." She sighed happily.

He smirked. "Thank god for that. I hear ghosts can't feel and touch. I would go mad seeing you all tempting and desirable and be unable to touch you."

Her eyes darkened.

"It's been a long time," she said seductively, her voice low and full of dangerous promises.

He was suddenly hard.

"Too long."

She pulled his face towards her and kissed him like her life depended on it. He was her oxygen. The way he pushed her across the room till she was up against the wall made her realize she was the same to him.

"Where are we going?" she asked breathlessly as his lips traveled down her neck and nipped at her shoulder.

"To oblivion," he muttered against her skin.

"And then in the morning?" She moaned as he found the zipper on her dress and pressed himself harder against her so she was pinned completely to the wall with no space between them.

"Anywhere."

She tugged at his hair so he'd move his mouth to her now bare breasts. He pulled on one of her nipples with his teeth. She gasped and squirmed beneath him as he grasped her ass and kissed his way down the side of her other breast.

"Oblivion sounds good for tonight."

She cried out.

…

A/N: I think it's rather beautiful, don't you? Maybe I'm just proud of that little bit of smut at the end. XD Please review! =D And remember, no mentioning to anything regarding the 5x17 episode that aired tonight. Hopefully more chapters soon. All depends on how well I'm able to recuperate tomorrow (or as soon as I watch the episode). ;)


	5. 5x15, 5x11

A/N: I have finally figured out how to put CB back together in 5x15. Hopefully you'll forgive my lack of inspiration for this particular fic. Post 5x14 I no longer have to worry about Blair needing spiritual signs for her to return to Chuck, but now the dowry and then her bizarre OOCness, especially as of late. *painful sigh* Bear with me. Oh, and I have another 5x11 alternate reunion in this chap as well. What can I say? That ep showed the most promise of things turning around (despite how awful it was), because it was right after 5x10's events (even if it was several weeks later XD). Please review. =)

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

….

She was beyond frustrated. No matter how much she tried to occupy her thoughts with anything but the fact that she was stuck in a loveless marriage for the next year to a prince with some royal-minder – as she'd termed her – following her around to make sure she didn't do anything scandalous and thus have to pay that god-awful dowry that would send her straight to the slums of worse than Brooklyn, and also that Chuck, who'd finally shown her the irrationality in her pact to God, and who she wanted to be with more than anyone, was now out of her reach.

The least she could do was get Dan and Serena back together. But no. She couldn't even do that. Dan was being impossible. Running away from her whenever she even hinted at him making his way to Serena. Of course she didn't know for sure if he was back in love with her best friend, but Serena was in love with him and Dan had always been quite smitten with her from the start. How hard could it be to reignite the fires?

Apparently impossible.

Trying to reign in the detrimental feelings that always came with lack of enough power to follow a plan through, she attempted her well set out plan from another angle.

"I just want you to be happy. Tell me what would make you happy, Dan," she demanded.

Because it was the truth. Maybe this whole match-making ordeal would run smoother if he knew that this wasn't just for her, or for Serena, but for him too. It was clear none of them were doing too well in the romance department, even if her own situation clearly won out any competition for worst current love life ever.

But her thoughts glazed over and she tensed when she realized Dan was not giving her a verbal answer but a physical one. He was moving toward her and if she could count on her intuition, he was about to kiss her.

Maybe she was wrong. Maybe this was his way of confiding in her. He'd whisper in her ear. But she didn't know why the hell he'd do that when they were in a quiet, closed room. _Chuck's_ quiet, closed room.

A muffled moan of shock followed by her hands pushing Dan several feet away from her interrupted his lips on hers.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" She wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand. "I'm _married_. And I love _Chuck_. Not you, you moron."

Dan's face flushed. It was clear he wanted to explain himself but her furious glare stopped him. Her reaction had literally shaken him to almost the point of fear. Beyond that he was incredibly embarrassed and ashamed.

"You know what? No." She held up a hand just as he opened his mouth to speak. "I don't want to hear your excuses. Why I even thought you were good enough for Serena after all these years is beyond me."

She opened the door and went back into the crowded party.

"Blair-" She bumped into Serena while making her way through strangers and acquaintances alike, "What's going on? I thought you said to meet-"

"Don't go in there," she interrupted.

Serena's brows furrowed. "What? But…I don't understand."

Blair sighed, gathering her patience. "Dan's an ass, S. He doesn't deserve you."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, her confused tone hinting at laughter.

"Blair!"

"I have to go," she told her, starting towards the elevators before Dan could catch up to her.

"Wh…Where are you going?" she asked, bewildered at her best friend's behavior.

The brunette was in the elevator before she answered her.

"To find Chuck," she said, at first with a determined stare, but as the doors started to close a silly smile slid onto her face.

Dan was breathing harshly by the time he reached Serena.

"Dan," the blonde said, surprised. "Are you alright?"

"Where's Blair?" he asked, hardly acknowledging his ex's presence.

She frowned. "She left."

"Where'd she go?" he asked, leaning over with his hands on his knees as he struggled to regain his breath.

Serena watched him. The penthouse was only so big. Surely it didn't cause this kind of labored breathing even going from one end to the other.

Questions began to spin through her mind, numbing her senses, but one very unsettling question convinced her that on this occasion she was going to lie.

"I don't know," she said.

Dan turned to look at her, suddenly standing upright. He looked confused.

"She's supposed to be at a charity thing tonight. Maybe that's where she went."

He relaxed, but there was still a subtle tension in his stance.

"Did she tell you anything?"

"Just that she was leaving," she lied.

"That's all?" he pressed.

She looked at him strangely, asking the question she didn't want the answer to.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Dan?"

He swallowed.

"No."

She analyzed his face intently, making him sweat.

"We should go say hi to Nate," she said, her voice nearly monotone.

"I really should go…"

"Is there someplace you have to be? I got the impression from Blair that she intended for the two of us to spend the night together."

His eyes lifted to hers in a panic. She hated that. Her stomach felt so hollow and her heart felt heavy.

"At the party," she clarified.

He forced a smile that clearly came from nerves.

"Let's go say hi to Nate," she said again.

He nodded and walked with her, allowing her to slip her arm through his.

…

She scanned the room, eager to get the memory of Dan's kiss from her mind. What would she tell Serena? She would kill her. Her best friend would kill her. Not that she'd done it on purpose. Quite the contrary. She'd been trying to lead him to Serena all evening. How the hell had he interpreted that into her leading him on towards _her_?

It was ridiculous. Absurd. And the royals be damned, she needed Chuck _now_.

First though she had to get rid of that annoying royal-minder. She nearly gagged just thinking about the twerpish stick of a woman that reminded her far too much of Sophie.

The girl had followed Chuck down to the bar on the lobby level, spying on him as inconspicuously as he could to make sure he wasn't anywhere near the unfortunate bride of Louis Grimaldi. Blair couldn't be sure but she thought maybe some extra spite made its way into the girl's language whenever she mentioned the newly wed's names together.

It made Blair wonder…but not enough to change her mind. She forced herself to muster up the sickliest behavior she could and staggered over to her royal minder sitting on the couch in the middle of the room.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked. Then she frowned at the sign of Blair covering her stomach and her face looking like she was about to vomit. "Are you alright?"

"I don't feel so good," Blair squeaked. "I don't think I can make it to the charity event tonight."

She sighed, as if she'd predicted this from the start.

"Alright. I'll call the car to come around and escort you home." She started walking around her toward the door and Blair huffed as quietly as she could muster.

_Damn it. There was no way out of this woman following her every move, was there?_

She chanced a glance at the bar and saw Chuck looking at her curiously. The concern in his eyes made her swoon. She wanted to be there. Right there beside him, gazing into his eyes and waiting for him to kiss her. She wanted that. Badly. She wanted to feel that moment, those seconds leading up to when his lips would touch hers, her heart beating faster as his face made its descent.

"Mrs. Grimaldi?"

There it was again. That touch of bitter spite. Blair twitched, but turned toward the voice calling to her and followed the bothersome woman out the door and to the car.

An hour later, after the woman had finally left – when Blair was under the covers in conservative pajamas – _honestly_, he appeared.

She lifted her head off her pillow.

"Chuck."

"I came up through the back. Arthur parked the limo a few blocks away."

"You walked _blocks_ and came up the back entrance just to see me?" she asked, amused.

There were many ways he could say yes to that question, however light her tone was when she asked it, but he settled for the one that covered all fronts, letting the look in his eyes and the somewhat unsteady breathing coming from him tell the rest.

"Of course," he said sincerely, quietly though with total conviction, as if there couldn't have been another answer. At least not one going in the opposite direction.

Her eyes softened.

"Chuck…" And this time she said his voice with yearning.

He moved into the room and shut the door behind him. The moonlight shining into the room gave them enough light to see each other's faces and the outline of their bodies.

He walked closer to her but stopped some feet away.

"I want to…"

She closed her eyes and dropped her head.

"I know," she said, then swallowed hard. "So do I." She noticed her fingers were trembling.

He ran through his hair and took off his jacket, laying it on her vanity. Next came the scarf and his bowtie. But then he walked back to her. Her eyes were now glued to where he'd lain his clothes.

"Your scarf." She smirked. He turned to look at it and smiled. "Your signature scarf," she confirmed, suddenly feeling the overwhelming need to laugh.

He turned back to her, still smiling. "Yep."

"And a matching bowtie." She admired it with a mocking smile. "Don't see you wear those much these days."

His gentle smile slowly disappeared.

"We're not in high school anymore."

The smile dropped from her lips as well.

"I don't wear headbands…" she said, as if it was the saddest news in the world.

"You do sometimes," he said, walking closer to her and slipping his hands into his pockets.

She looked up at him.

"When?" she asked doubtfully, daring him to give her the answer she desired.

He shrugged.

"Sometimes."

"Give me an example," she said slowly, her eyes narrowed.

He chuckled.

"I'm sure after this conversation you'll set up one for tomorrow," he mused.

"Ha! I knew it! You _don't_ know when!"

"The most recently I can remember is when you threw your bridal shower, earlier in the day," he said, determined to have an answer.

Her brows narrowed. "You didn't see me that day." She looked away when he did. "Before the party I mean," she nearly whispered.

"There were pictures on Gossip Girl."

She sighed. "Chuck…"

He closed his eyes and looked down. "I know."

"Dan kissed me," she said hesitantly.

He looked up suddenly, a thousand questions running through his head but only one that stood out more important than the rest.

"_What_?" he choked. She bit her lip, nodding slowly. He almost didn't ask the question, but he knew he had to. "Did you—"

"Return it?" Her eyes widened in shock. "God, no." Her face contorted in disgust. "I was appalled."

Chuck would've laughed if he hadn't been so consumed with relief. And also with the need to kiss her. Somehow he found the restraint within him to hold back.

"That's why I texted to Serena to ask you to come here. I knew it was risky, and I'm glad you played along, because quite honestly I needed to get as far away from Humphrey as possible, and as close to you as this god-damned dowry would allow." She stood her feet and closed the distance between them.

He searched her eyes for some sign that he could claim her, even if he knew there wouldn't be one.

Tentatively, she set her fingers on his shoulders and then enclosed her hands around them.

"_Blair_," he managed. He couldn't tell her to get off. His heart, his head, his voice wouldn't let him. But she was so tempting even barely touching him that he could barely contain his lust for her, not when his heart was constantly spilling out his eternal love her.

She sighed and said nothing, but slowly her hands released him only to have her arms wrap around his neck and her head to lie on his chest.

He couldn't breathe.

The air had evaporated from his lungs. Because every time he inhaled more oxygen he felt her breasts pressed against him lift and lower. The tickle of her hair against his chin drifted across his senses. The smell of her skin took him to a place he knew he should not – _could not_ – be.

_Heaven_.

"I've been trying very hard lately to be good…" he trailed off. It had been so much easier saying it to those wanna-be-Blairs in the park. _Where was Monkey when he needed him?_

She nodded against him and he groaned because some of her hair had floated across his face and he could smell more. He could feel the silky strands and smell the lavender shampoo.

She intoxicated him.

Even more so when he couldn't have her.

He unwrapped her arms from around his neck and took a breath.

"I can't be here, Blair," he said honestly. "It's too hard for me to be this close to you and not have you."

She looked at him so sadly he wanted to explode. The tension inside him could cut like a knife. His heart was aching.

"I want you so badly…" he continued, unable to stop himself. "And after tonight, after what you just told me…about Humphrey…that he's the last one to kiss you now, I just…"

"No."

Regardless of rules and infidelity, she closed the distance between them again and kissed him. She didn't deepen the kiss enough to tempt either of them to immerse themselves in each other, but reassurance was in order and she was more than willing to give it.

"You are," she whispered as she pulled away.

He choked. "God, Blair, what are you doing to me?" He turned around and walked to the opposite side of the room, too certain he would grab her and pin her to the bed if he didn't get some distance.

"It's been so long since I kissed you. Since I really kissed you," he said, his hands starting to wave in different directions as he rambled on. "Not since that night, Blair." He turned to look at her, all desirable even in her cotton head-to-toe pants and shirt pajamas. He swallowed, mesmerized by the curves he still managed to see in the loose-fitting wear she'd probably been forced to sleep in.

"And I haven't—_we_ haven't…since—"

She put her hand on his lips to stop him as he finally walked towards her again.

"I know," she said, longing and sadness clear as day on her face, just the same as it was on his.

Slowly he pulled her hand away. Instinctively, their fingers intertwined when their hands lowered to their side.

"I wanted that baby to be _mine_," he admitted.

The sadness on her face could've killed him. She so desperately wanted to fix him, to make him better, and it was the one thing she couldn't do. Not with this.

She nodded. "Me too."

"_All_ mine," he said fiercely.

She exhaled slowly. "Me too," she said softly.

The need to kiss her was overwhelming him now, more than it had before. He wanted to scream. He had to get out of there. He shouldn't have come to begin with. If he stayed another second longer, he knew he would take her to bed. He was basically already half-undressed and though she was more clothed than usual, he knew it wouldn't take long to rid her of the warm clothing.

He groaned, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I can't stay here, Blair," he ground out. "I'll take you, Blair. If I stay another second, I'll take you, and you _will_ have my baby."

The tension inside her, the desire screaming to be taken advantage of, consumed by him was a fire in her eyes when he looked at her again.

"Take me, Chuck," she said breathlessly, all thoughts of dowries, marriages and princes from her mind. Even the horror of Dan's kiss had erased itself from her memory.

He groaned, but forced himself to pull away.

"No," he somehow pushed out of his mouth. "I'm leaving now." He looked down at the floor all the while he walked towards the door and down the hall.

Blair took off her shirt and pants, too hot inside them to even breathe after the sweaty thoughts in her head had nearly become reality in front of her. She crossed the room, sweeping the hair off her neck and waving her hand behind it to cool the skin. That was when the door reopened, and there she stood in only her lacy black underwear and hair tie in her hand. She looked down and saw that she was before her vanity and lying on the top was Chuck's bowtie, jacket and signature scarf.

And he was back in the doorway, having returned for his belongings.

Of course she hadn't planned to go back to bed in only her underwear. After her hair was securely off her neck she planned to fish out some silk shorts and a light tank top.

But that was before Chuck reappeared in her doorway.

With one groan he was on her, hastily unbuttoning his shirt and unbuckling his belt as he kissed her. As he pushed her onto the bed and dug his fingers into her hair. Her hands on him were intolerable. He pulled them back and placed them on either side of her head, staring her down in a frenzy of burning lust. She stared back up at him with the same fire in his eyes he'd seen the moment before he claimed her for the first time. No, the moment she'd claimed _him_.

For life.

She pulled his pants down with her knees snug around his hips as she bit at his lip when he tried to kiss her. They smiled their dirty smiles and then he was kissing her neck and licking and blowing the moisture down her chest between her breasts. They were so soft. Her skin was so soft. And then it was slick. And when he licked and gently took a nipple between his teeth she arched up against him and he shivered. Never had it felt this good with her – with _anyone_. Never.

He rose to his knees and bent to find the condom in the pocket of his pants. He felt the bottom of her foot climb up his back, and it made him hurry all the more. Everything she did made him hurry, made him shiver. He slipped on the condom quickly and returned to her, planting fiery kisses back on her greedy lips.

Her legs gripped his waist like a vice as soon as she'd rid herself of the one scrap of clothing that separated them. She pulled his body closer with her arms around his neck and her heel against his ass. His voice was husky as he whispered dirty nothings against her neck and into her ear, making her shiver. Even his I love you's sounded like they came straight from the gutter. When their tongues danced together, it was as if they were being consumed by the purity in the infidelity they created.

And then they were one. He was inside her, slowly thrusting until his mouth had to muffle her scream. He pumped faster and just before she completely lost all control, she pushed him to the side and straddled him, driving him mad with how she grinded against him, pressing her breasts against his chest and biting the hairy skin on his chest.

His hands gripped her hips and forced a faster pace. She followed it, finally going faster than even his hands could keep up with.

He lost it.

She overwhelmed him and he was lost.

He growled a never-ending cry that she herself had to cover, and with it he pulled her toward him with a yank on fistfuls of her hair.

It was glorious.

And it began again. And again. Until she came. Until they were both so lost in each other nothing else could have ever existed in their minds. Until they were breathing heavy and the room was a glacier compared to their erupting volcano.

That was when she collapsed, and he held her as they fell asleep. The first real sleep they'd had since they'd last been like this.

_Years_.

…

She smiled softly as she felt the first rays of sun creep across her bed through the silky drapes. It was Saturday. Nothing to do. No charities. No royal-minder. She was free to do as she wished. She wondered…

"Miss Blair," Dorota announced, cheerily walking into her room. "I have breakfast ready for you. Your favorite."

Blair's eyes snapped open.

_Oh god._

She sat up quickly and then sunk back under the covers when she realized she had not a single piece of clothing covering her. Dorota's scandalized face accompanied with her _'Miss Blair!' _told her all that she needed to know.

She grumbled and then whined beneath the covers.

"Leave me alone, Dorota!" She was nearly sobbing under the covers.

"But Miss Blair-"

She popped her head up, her hair electrified and frizzing in different directions.

"Go!"

"But Mr. Chuck-"

"Nothing happened!" Blair said, horrified that somehow her maid had known what she'd just recently remembered. "I went to bed, and clearly was just too hot to keep my clothes on!" She wrapped the bulky duvet around her form and started waddling towards her bathroom.

"But-" Dorota tried again.

Blair spun towards her in a desperate fury.

"That's obviously what happened!"

Her eyes were wide as she stared at her clearly troubled mistress.

"I tell Mr. Chuck to leave," she said, nodding and starting toward the exit.

"Wait, _what_?" Blair grabbed her maid's arm.

Dorota stilled, not moving another inch.

"He's _here_?" Blair whispered.

"That is what I try to tell you," she said, showing for the first time true aggravation.

Blair cleared her throat.

"Oh. Well…tell him I'll be down soon." She smiled somewhat uneasily and headed to the bathroom in all her duvet-covered glory.

Dorota sighed and shook her head but did as she was told.

Chuck looked up as Dorota re-entered the kitchen sitting area. He raised his eyebrows in questioning.

"Well?" he asked.

"She coming soon," she muttered, grumbling as she set up another place for her mistress.

"You're a good woman, Dorota." Chuck smiled as the place setting was set to perfection and more food was added to the table. Dorota looked at him briefly, not giving away a single hint as to what she was thinking. Then she muttered some Polish and left the room.

When Blair finally descended the stairs and was within viewing distance, Chuck caught his breath in his throat. She was even more beautiful than when he'd watched her sleeping half an hour earlier. It had almost been torturous to pull away from her, but it was important not to be lying naked beside her in her bed should any unwanted and potentially threatening visitors came over. He took a quick shower, redressed and accidentally startled a cooking Dorota humming in the kitchen.

'_Mr. Chuck!'_ she'd gasped, shocked beyond all measure. That was when he knew she'd seen him in Blair's bed. The fact that she had not barged in and demanded he leave was a great comfort to him. As was the fact that he still held the woman in the palm of his hand when he smiled at her; and when she blushed at his presence. And his attention.

"I think we should surprise Blair with breakfast," he'd suggested, walking further into the kitchen. "Should we not?"

She'd blushed again. "Oh yes, Mr. Chuck."

If he was not mistaken, she'd giggled.

And now here she stood: the only woman he'd ever loved and who he continued to desire. He didn't know what would come of this day or how the topic of last night would be resolved. But he knew this wasn't high school Blair. She wouldn't deny what had happened. She wouldn't regret it either. She might ask him to leave though. That troubled him. He didn't want to let her out of his sight again.

Snapping out of her trance, Blair walked into the kitchen, glanced at a busily working Dorota and joined Chuck at the table. Her heart was pounding. The sexual tension wasn't as palpable as it had been the night before, but it was still there. There was always electricity between them, magnetism, no matter how hard she tried to block it out. It was whenever she looked into his eyes or watched how he moved or the heat she felt on her face or the back of her neck when she realized he was watching her.

"You should probably go soon," she said quietly, the suggestion itself enough to make her lose her appetite.

Chuck frowned. "Why?"

Blair swallowed. "Serena will be here. She might even still be sleeping, but I'm sure it won't be for long." She forced herself to steady her hands enough to pour herself a glass of water and bring it to her lips for a sufficient drink.

Chuck looked down at his half-eaten plate. He was starting to feel sick.

"We have to talk about it, Blair," he said quietly.

"What's there to talk about?" she asked flippantly, trying her best to be brave. "We…did something we shouldn't have last night, and now we have to move on with our lives as if-"

"It didn't happen?" he snapped, and then sighed, regretting his outburst.

He straightened himself in his chair and then leaned forward and covered her hand with his own. When he moved his thumb over hers, she moved hers against the inside of his. He knew she wanted this as much as he did. He wasn't watching her face but he could feel how she was watching their hands, how she wanted the rest of their bodies to be touching as intimately.

"We _made_ _love_," he said softly, turning her hand over so he could thread his fingers through hers.

She sighed shakily. "I know," she said.

Chuck scooted his chair closer to her, then turned her face towards his with his other hand and kissed her. The caress was so tender Blair wanted to melt into his embrace. She hated this. She hated all of it. It wasn't fair that now that her pact with God was broken and Chuck was still alive that she couldn't be with him. Her problem in all of this had been her selfishness. She was selfish to want Chuck, and selfish to have him be her only concern. She should've known that soon enough Louis would learn her heart was not completely with him, if at all. Over time he would become more of a companion to her instead of a soulmate.

She had pushed Louis too far.

In the fairytales it wasn't like this. There were external factors, but never internal ones. The prince and princess always loved each other, and always knew they did. That was why by the end of the story, they always got their happy ending.

They deserved it.

She didn't deserve Louis. And she realized now that she didn't want to. For all her little girl dreams, all she wanted was what was right in front of her.

She sighed and pulled away. "Chuck…" she groaned. "What do you want me to say?" Her eyes snapped to his, unending sadness resting in them. "I don't regret last night."

He relaxed.

"But it can't happen again. You're not going to be _the other man_."

"Blair. Whether we were involved or not, I've been 'the other man' in every other relationship you've ever had."

She sighed impatiently. "I know, but-"

"No." He grabbed her hand again. "We have to find a way to make this work."

She pulled her hand away again. This time she looked at him a little angrily.

"It was you who brought up the fact of how wrong it'd been when we slept together at the beginning of summer. You reminded me that no matter how much I love you, and even if I had been planning on leaving Louis for you until you convinced me not to, that it was still being unfaithful, and that's wrong."

"It _is_ wrong," he assured her.

"Well then-" She was starting to lose it. She wanted to scream. _Why was he making her go through this?_

"I'm not asking you to have an affair with me when you're still married."

She blinked. "Then what?"

"There must be some way to get out of your marriage before the year is up," he said.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, shaking her head.

"You don't think I want that just as much as you do?"

His determination started to fade.

"But we can't. There's no way."

"There's always a way."

She shook her head. "No. I won't let you pay the dowry."

"Blair-"

"No!" She shot to her feet. "I won't let you buy me from Louis. That's just as bad as you selling me off for your hotel, regardless of the different circumstances. It's a horrible start to us trying again."

"I wouldn't be doing it so we could be together," he said.

She raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms across her chest, challenging him.

"I'd be doing it to _set you free_. If you choose to be with me in that freedom, that's up to you."

She considered it for about half a second before she shook her head again. "No."

"Blair-"

"_No_," she said firmly and backed away, finally leaving the room.

…

It wasn't who he expected to be in the doorway when he turned around. It was the very last person he expected. After the initial shock faded however, he expected to feel a great surge of anger to rush up in him and to order the man who'd ruined his marriage out of his home and out of his life. How dare he come to him after all that he'd done.

But all he felt was surprise and confusion.

"Chuck."

Chuck nodded once and tried to make himself look as inconspicuous as possible.

"Louis."

"What are you doing here?" he asked in what Chuck could've sworn was some combination of French and English.

"I came to talk to you."

"On Blair's behalf?" he asked, a snobbish air coming off him. He should've known the love of his wife's life would come around begging for the dowry to be dropped.

Chuck hesitated. "In a way."

"In that case, I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline any conversation you planned to have with me. There is no way I'm going to drop the dowry. She deserves to wait for all she put me through."

"For all she put _you_ through?" Chuck asked, scoffing. He told himself he had to be gentle with the prince of Monaco. Otherwise he wouldn't be successful in the least, but he couldn't help but defend Blair. He loved her and he would not have even royalty insult her.

"Yes. It was her who proclaimed her undying love for you on our wedding day, wasn't it? Or maybe I missed something," he said, sarcasm dripping with every word.

"I understand why you're angry-"

"Do you?" Louis spat. "I don't think you do. You obviously are very important to Blair. I can't imagine her ever choosing someone else over you."

Chuck laughed and then turned to close the door. Louis didn't object, and Chuck moved to the center of the room to focus on Louis more directly.

"Maybe she and I keep coming back to each other, but there is no shortage of the men she's chosen over me, yourself included."

Louis scoffed. "That doesn't change the fact that she didn't love me. She loved you. She still does. Everyone has the Gossip Girl blast on their phones to prove it."

Chuck pursed his lips and after a long while once he felt the man across from him had calmed down a bit, he looked up and studied him, trying to steady himself.

"Did you ever tell Blair you loved her?" he asked gently.

Louis flinched. "What? Of course I did. We were engaged."

"That doesn't mean you loved her."

His brows furrowed. "I went through a lot of pain with my family in order to make sure Blair was accepted, and then she turns around and does _this_."

"She wouldn't have had a second thought about being with you if you hadn't gotten jealous for no reason."

Louis fumed. Chuck was hitting a sore spot and he knew it, but the guy had to know the details on what had really happened. Sure, Blair had wronged him, but it wasn't as if it hadn't been brought on, at least in part, by what he'd done to begin with.

"There was reason to be jealous," he said, clearly convinced by that 'fact.'

"Why? Because I decided to go to counseling? Put away my bad boy ways?"

"Yes!" he said without thinking.

Chuck raised his eyebrows. "Did you doubt her feelings so much that you thought my behavior alone would turn her against you? I was never in pursuit of her."

Louis' eyebrows narrowed. "She had a paternity test taken. I'm sure you don't have to guess as to who the other person might have been."

He tensed.

"You must have been in pursuit of her at some time during our relationship."

"N-Not after that night," Chuck made out, averting Louis' penetrating glare. Eventually he lifted his eyes to him. "When she left with you that night…" he shook his head. "I let her go."

"She obviously did not let _you_ go," he spat.

Chuck was starting to lose it. There was no reasoning with the man. He'd been scorned and was firmly holding onto his grudge.

"She _did_."

Louis held his tongue with a great amount of willpower.

"She only reconsidered her decision when you made her start to doubt your feelings for her!" His voice was rising. The fury in him was overwhelming.

Louis cracked his knuckles at his sides.

"I think you need to leave," he ordered.

Chuck held up his hand.

"Just wait. One more thing," he requested.

"What is it?" Louis sighed impatiently.

"Did you ever love her?" he demanded.

Louis stiffened.

Chuck took a step towards him. "Answer the question."

"Yes," he finally said, "I loved her. But I stopped loving her the moment her declaration of love to _you_ was blasted to everyone in that church on our _wedding_ day."

"She still chose you," he said.

"For my title. She wanted to be a princess and now she is one. She got exactly what she wanted."

Chuck shook his head. "No. She chose you because she knew you loved her."

"She didn't think _you_ loved her? I find that hard to believe."

"My relationship with Blair is a little unstable to say the least. She would have been taking a lot of risks by giving me another chance. Just because she loves me doesn't mean she would choose me over a prince who can give her everything she's ever wanted and who loves her."

"I won't emotionally involve myself with a woman who doesn't love me."

Chuck nodded once, accepting. "But deep down you still love her, don't you?" he offered gently.

Louis averted his eyes.

"In my experience, I have learned the greatest satisfaction comes from doing whatever it takes to make the one you love happy."

"And what will make her happy is to be with you," he scoffed.

"What she wants is to be free to make her own decisions and not be tied down," Chuck corrected.

Louis fumed but it wasn't nearly as threatening as it had been before.

"I'll go now," Chuck said, and let himself out of the room, praying to whoever or whatever determined the events of the universe that Louis would relent and change his mind, that one last time he'd go up against his mother for the sake of Blair's happiness.

…

Blair's eyes widened at the document that was now lying before her.

_Divorce papers._

"Dorota!"

The maid hurriedly appeared before her mistress.

"Divorce papers," she said, unable to hide the joy bubbling up inside her.

Dorota's excited bouncy demeanor excited her further.

"I have to go to Chuck!" She jumped from her seat and quickly ran for the stairs.

Dorota stood smiling after her excited mistress.

…

"Blair." He looked up, surprised when the elevator bell sounded. "What is-"

She silenced him with her lips on his, kissing him passionately until they'd landed on the couch and she was straddling him. He framed his hands at her waist, unable to pull away from her hungry kisses.

"Wait, wait," he said, breathless when he finally managed to detach his lips from hers. "What's going on?"

"The divorce papers came," she said, smiling from ear to ear as her eyes sparkled.

His eyes shone, all the love in his heart evident on his face. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and kissed her hard, hungrily, desperately.

It had worked. His argument to Louis had worked. Now Blair was free. Everything was going to be okay.

"I hope this means you want to be with me," he murmured against her lips.

"May God strike me down if I don't." She sighed contently and began to kiss him again.

Chuck laughed nervously before giving in to more kisses.

"No more pacts with God, please."

She smiled against him. "I promise."

He gave in then. To her kisses, her heart and their finally happily ever after.

_We can make our own fairytales._

…

**A/N: Starts in CB's first scene in 5x11 – no spoilers included, so we know nothing about why Blair is avoiding Chuck.**

**5x11 – 3.0**

"Louis?"

Her crystal voice. He'd almost forgotten what it sounded like. For some reason he hadn't expected she'd be there. In her own house with her re-engaged fiancée and he hadn't expected the love of his life would make an appearance, even after the elevator bell sounded.

His rapidly beating heart beat even faster when she appeared at the top of the staircase and all he could do was stare at her and mourn the intensity of how much pain she felt. The only thing running through his mind was the kisses they'd shared the night of the accident and how much he'd give to hold her again, to be in that passionate embrace once more.

"Dorota's obviously becoming lax in announcing visitors," she said casually as she made her way to the base of the steps. The expression of mourning that he'd had on his face had been mirrored on hers for only an instant, but he held onto that. He would not take her excuses. He needed her too much.

"There's no need to reprimand the help. Louis invited me in."

"I should've known you'd manipulate someone."

"How can you blame me? You won't respond to my texts or calls. I just wanted to be there for you after the baby," he said, trying his best to remain calm and play the part of a supportive friend. It was hard though. His eagerness to get through to her about _them_ was showing.

"Well, as you can see I survived without you. And I intend to continue that way, so you should go."

Her bitterness cut him like a knife but he wouldn't back down.

"That's it? I'm just cut out of your life without any explanation?"

His temper was rising and he tried to calm himself, but he had a right to these answers. His time without her was slowly eating him alive. It was destroying him. Especially since she refused to give him a reason as to _why_ he suddenly didn't matter to her at all.

"My New York wedding is in less than a month. I have to keep my priorities in order."

"We were your priority. What happened, Blair? What _changed_ after the accident?"

For a moment he saw the sadness on her again, as if finally she was comprehending the situation and _feeling_ for him, but it vanished the moment he demanded explanations. Instead her eyebrows narrowed in annoyance.

"Did it ever occur to you that there's no such thing as an accident?"

"Well it certainly felt like one when the car hit the wall," he burst out.

"Or it was the universe's way of pointing out what's really important," she countered.

"How can you say we weren't important? We were the only thing that matters."

She turned away, but it was in frustration and it didn't change anything.

"Well you're obviously not leaving, so I will. Tell Louis Bergdorf's stayed open late, so I can finish our registry."

She walked past him and he was frozen. Like he'd been all these weeks without her. Like he'd continue to be until he found out what the hell had happened to turn her into this unfeeling person who had completely turned off any and all memory of how happy they'd been together, how meant to be they are.

He turned to look at her and caught her glance just before she stepped into the elevator – before she _almost_ stepped. Instead of his mind flitting once again to the memories of that night they'd shared together before everything had changed for the worst, he found himself just staring at her. He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't perceive why he wasn't crying his eyes out.

"Don't go," he said when the elevator doors closed again, her body still stationed outside them.

Her eyes lingered on his a moment longer until she shook herself of the spell he'd put her under and pressed the elevator button again.

She was about to go into the shaft when he called her name.

"Blair."

Mid-step she halted, but she didn't turn to look at him. She let him take her though as he grabbed her arm and led her to an adjoining room, away from where Louis had gone.

"Blair, tell me what really happened."

"I told you what happened," she snapped, pulling her arm away. But she didn't walk back to the elevator or dash for the stairs or head in the direction Louis had gone. That meant only one thing.

She wanted him to convince her.

"_Blair_."

She was silent, staring at him, searching his eyes for some sort of sign, some proof that what she wanted and what she thought was right would somehow make sense together.

He kissed her and she lingered in the kiss. She pulled away abruptly, but too late for it to look like she didn't want the kiss to happen, as if she hadn't been waiting for it since the second she found out he had woken up in the hospital.

"_Chuck_," she breathed.

"Blair," he murmured, grasping her waist with his hands and sliding one up her back. He pulled her closer and leaned his forehead against hers. "Tell me."

She whimpered.

He captured her lips again in a soft, sweet kiss, and she let him, but her lips quivered.

"Are you scared of us? Is that why you left?"

She swallowed.

He tucked some of her long brown locks behind her ear and tenderly caressed her cheek.

"I lost my baby," she sucked in a breath and tears ran down her cheek. "And I almost lost you," she gasped, suddenly throwing her arms around her neck and burying her face in his chest.

He held her to him, shocked but unwilling to let her go for even a second.

"Hey, it's okay, shh…shh," he soothed her. "I'm right here. You've got me. You've always got me."

Finally, she pulled away, her face drained of color and tear-stained cheeks. He brushed the hair out of her face.

"I…I'm sorry. I just…I don't want to lose you. And…" she sighed. "Everything always seems to be fighting us being together. Maybe a little pain from being a part is just what we need to find ourselves with someone else and be happy…safely, and-"

"You know that's not true." He grabbed her arms and forced her to look at him. "You know deep in your heart that no one is more meant to be than the two of us are. And now that I'm finally the man you need me to be, _nothing_ and _no one_ can stop us. I survived that car accident because of _you_. Nothing could ever keep me from you."

She sighed, trying to relax in his hold and believe what he was saying.

"Do you still love me?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes."

Relief flooded through him.

"Then please, Blair, choose me." His eyes searched hers desperately, trying to find the answer to the question she refused to answer.

"What's going on here?"

Chuck dropped his hands from her arms and turned to look at who now stood in the hall just a few feet away from them.

Blair's lips parted. She'd made her decision, but her mind was racing on how to deal with both these men, with the decision she'd made.

_Nothing is going on here_, she practiced in her mind.

"Louis, I can't marry you," she said, tears brimming in her eyes. Guilt consumed her more than the night she'd cheated on him when she'd thought that finally again Chuck was hers.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, confused, though deep in his gut he had been waiting for this. He'd known it would come. She was entirely too okay with him after what he'd done.

"I…I don't love you," she said, her voice breaking.

He stiffened, and Chuck suddenly felt like he was about to be attacked and wanted to leave, but he couldn't move. Not only for reasons of heated accusations no doubt bound to come from Louis any second now, but also because he never wanted to leave Blair's side again.

Louis swallowed, trying to keep his composure.

"I see."

"I'm sorry…"

He held up his hand.

"No more explanations, Blair, please."

She closed her mouth.

"I'll come for my things tomorrow. And Chuck…" He turned his face to look at the carefully hidden man in the shadows. "I appreciate your honesty."

Chuck looked up and blinked.

"You were not involved in an affair since we've gotten back?"

His brows furrowed and he shook his head.

"No," he said, somewhat confused, and also surprised.

Louis nodded once. "Good-bye, Blair." He moved forward and kissed her on the cheek. Then, he turned for the elevator and stepped inside when the doors opened.

Blair turned to Chuck, a light in her eyes again. It felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her burdened soul.

"He probably won't be this calm tomorrow," Chuck informed her but a smile was already starting to dance across her face.

She lowered her lips to kiss him again and he groaned, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. He deepened the kiss and shivers wracked throughout his entire body when her nails dug his scalp and she pushed herself against him. She was breathing heavily when she finally pulled away.

"I love you," she breathed.

He nodded. "I love you too. And I'm here for you. 100%. Please don't forget that."

She smiled tremulously. "I won't. Forgive me?"

He groaned and kissed her again. "Anything to have you."

More tears slipped down her face again, but for happiness this time. She couldn't believe this was real, that this was happening, that she was letting it happen, but she had no doubts. When Chuck was this sure of them, it was hard for her to believe otherwise. And with Louis understanding and Chuck who she needed him to be, and her loving him so strongly, more than she ever believed she could love anyone, it was hard to imagine how she'd persuaded herself to not believe there was nothing more right in the world than this.

…..

**A/N: So, the 5x15 one was really long…sorry about that. Lol. The problem was I set up the dilemma for basically a multi-chap. It was not something I could resolve in a couple scenes, so I hope you'll forgive me for that and that you enjoyed these both. Please review. =P**


	6. 5x16

A/N: And so here it is: the onslaught of the episodes/chapters where we have to assume Blair is into Dan. *rolls eyes* I chose to ignore the fact that it was basically there suddenly by the middle of 5x15 in my last chap (it could've been misinterpreted if she'd only pulled away from the kiss like I told her to! Lol) but in this episode, her denial of liking him was so obvious, it wasn't only Serena who was irritated by it. So, *sigh* I must accept it…at least up through 5x21. *mutters* This takes place right after CB's phone convo – their one and only interaction of the ep, but I've switched things up in that Chuck gets GG's message about Dan sending in the video right after Blair hangs up on Chuck instead of at the end of the ep. Mmk? Great. Review, please!

*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

…

He was still reeling from the message Gossip Girl had sent him, both cursing Humphrey and wishing he could hear those words Blair had said in the video directly to him again when the phone rang. Without looking, he picked it up.

"Blair?" he answered hopefully.

"Charles." The voice sounded weak, and it was breaking, almost like static had been placed in the person's mouth.

"Lily," he said softly. "What is it? What's wrong?" He closed his laptop and sat up, already mentally preparing to leave.

"Cece…my mother…she's…" her voice broke again. His heart clenched. He had never heard her this broken up before.

"What's wrong?" he asked very quietly, holding his breath.

She made a sound that very clearly accompanied her wiping tears from her eyes.

"Come to the hospital right away. We need to deal with this as a family. We need to say good-bye," she said, sounding as controlled as ever. Typical Lily.

Chuck had never known Cece Rhodes particularly well, just that she had the talent to be devious and he admired her for that. She had also caused some trouble for her daughters, and in turn her grandchildren, according to whatever it was that she wanted accomplished. She had never taken special notice of him, even when he'd become the stepson to her daughter, and so a sort of step-grandson to her, but Serena would be there along with Lily, and he knew she would need someone by her side. Someone who understood the loss of a loved one.

He didn't know where Blair had been calling from. He hoped she'd be at her best friend's side for this, but with the revelation that she was trying to figure out – if she liked Dan and if she still loved him, she could very well be spending time with Dan instead. God knows Dan wouldn't be down there for Serena's sake. Not anymore.

It made him sick. All of it. It also broke his heart. But that wouldn't stop him from going down to see Cece during this troubling time and support the rest of the family through it all. He would not sulk in the shadows over the fact that Humphrey had manipulated the situation to get Blair and now looked to be getting her.

He shook himself of those thoughts, repeating in his mind that the fact that Blair had confessed her love to him at her wedding to Louis just a few weeks earlier would be enough to sway her in his direction. Also, their incredibly long history had to surmount Humphrey completely, regardless that he'd never hurt her like Chuck had.

Again, he brushed the thoughts from his mind and called Arthur to bring the car around.

….

The first thing he saw when he turned the corner was Serena's heartbroken face. The second was Blair kissing Dan in plain view in the middle of the hallway. Albeit it was a short kiss, but it was a kiss nonetheless and it froze his insides.

He watched Dan as he turned to look at Blair walk away toward her best friend, a boy-like surprised but clearly pleased smile on his face. Serena forced a tight smile when Blair sat down beside her. She let her wrap her arm around her shoulder and rest her head in the crook of her best friend's neck, but Serena was tensed and Chuck wondered how the hell Blair didn't see it.

He'd told Blair he could never be mad at her, but now he was starting to think it was possible. Serena was blood to him as far as he was concerned, and regardless of what she had told Blair in regards to what she was willing to allow with Dan, it was clear brunette was taking advantage of the fact that Serena would always love her. They were sisters.

He'd made that mistake before. He knew.

Dan paused briefly on his way past Chuck. The stopped motion made Chuck shift his gaze to a timidly smiling Dan who was only slightly trying to hide the triumph in his grin. It looked like he wanted to say something, a spewing insult perhaps, an 'I told you so' to accompany his gloating earlier on when he'd confirmed Chuck's troubling thoughts that he actually had a chance at winning Blair over. But he waited too long, and actually looked slightly unnerved by Chuck's blank stare. Chuck gathered Dan had probably been startled by the fact that he never said anything to provoke him.

_Was it really that hard to believe he had changed?_

It was difficult at first, getting people to believe he'd changed his ways, but even after the accident for a short time everyone had accepted his good nature. Sure he had become a bit aggressive when he couldn't figure out why Blair was avoiding him or decided he was no longer the one she wanted to be with, but he had good cause for that and he never hurt her directly. All he'd wanted was answers.

Chuck didn't wait any longer. He fixed his eyes back on the tensed Serena and walked toward her.

"Serena?" The sound of his soft voice made both girls look up.

"_Chuck_," they both said, taken aback by his sudden appearance. Serena sounded confused, and weak like her mother had sounded. Blair sounded territorial and almost irritated that he was there.

"What are you doing here?" Blair demanded, tightening her hold on Serena's shoulders.

"It's okay, B," Serena said, finally shrugging out of her best friend's hold. She stood to her feet to get away and so she could talk more comfortably with Chuck.

"What's going on?" he asked softly.

Serena sighed in exhaustion and then her face contorted into one desperately trying to avoid crying.

"She's dying," she sniffled, covering her mouth up with her hand and looking down. "My grandmother's dying."

He soothed her as best he could by running his hand up and down her arm.

"Hey, hey, it's okay."

She shook her head though as tears began to trail down her cheeks. She was falling apart, and fast. He took her in his arms and held her as she tried to control her sniffles so they wouldn't turn into raging tears. He rubbed her back soothingly, brushing her hair off to the side. She could hardly move for her own distraught state, but she buried her head in his chest and just let him hold her.

"Hey, do you wanna go somewhere?" he asked her gently, finally pulling away enough to see her face.

She shook her head. "No, I have to say. I can't not be here when she…if she…"

"We won't go far. Someone can always come get us." For the first time since he'd gotten Serena away from Blair, he looked up to the people surrounding.

Lily nodded, coming around to her daughter. She briefly rubbed her hand over her back.

"We can come get you, honey."

Serena sighed shakily. "Okay, thanks." She smiled a little.

Blair rose to her feet immediately as they started to depart and insisted on coming, but Serena denied her.

"I just wanna go with Chuck, B. Okay?" She said it softly, turning it into a question at the end as if she needed permission. As much as Chuck loved Blair, he hated Serena liked this. He hated how Blair was choosing to ignore how much her best friend was suffering.

Blair frowned and then a light seemed to go off in her head.

"If this has to do with Dan-"

"It doesn't," she said quickly. "I just want to go with Chuck."

"We'll be back," Chuck told Blair before she could make any more arguments. "Why don't you stay with Lily? She needs someone."

"She has Rufus," she shot back.

"B…" Serena sighed, incredibly weary.

She relented after a steady glare was shot at her from Chuck.

"Alright, alright…but I'm here if you need me, okay?" She tilted her head and looked at her, concerned.

Serena forced another smile. "I know. Thanks."

The brunette dropped her hand from Serena's shoulder and watched as the two step-siblings walked away, the blonde's head on her brother's shoulder as his arm curved around her waist.

….

Blair stood to her feet immediately when Chuck and Serena returned, but Serena went straight for her mother's embrace and so she was left standing there on the outskirts with only Chuck in her midst.

She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Where'd you go?" she asked casually, though it was clear she was suspicious.

"Not far," he said simply, sliding his hands into his pockets.

"To the cafeteria?" she asked, needing to know.

"No," he said.

She shifted uncomfortably.

"Well it was nice of you to come for her," she muttered under her breath. Chuck said nothing, only nodded subtly. "Even though it's not like Cece ever paid much attention to you," she continued.

His eyebrows narrowed faintly.

"I came for Serena," he said, then paused. "And for Lily."

"Right." She nodded, clearly not believing a word he had to say. "Right after I told you that I was having second thoughts of our being together."

He didn't like that she'd stated it so bluntly, but now was not the time to feel hurt over her sudden change of decision after one kiss from Humphrey – okay, two.

"Lily called me. She asked me to come, and she wasn't exactly…_put together_ on the phone. For some reason I thought the family needed me, regardless of my association with Cece."

Blair tensed, resisting somehow to keep herself from looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Why should I believe you?" she managed, throwing out her last life line in the hopes that she had won. She needed one victory tonight, since ever since Chuck had shown up she'd begun to doubt Serena's 'blessing' on her and Dan's potential future relationship.

His eyebrows narrowed faintly. "How could I have known you were calling from the hospital?"

Now she did look like a deer caught in the headlights. He'd seen right through her. Despite what may or may not have been called a short argument on the phone between them, he had not come for her and for some reason that bothered her, even if she could still feel the tingle from the kisses she'd shared with Dan throughout the day, the most recent one especially lingering.

"I don't know…" She was feeling more uncomfortable by the second. "You're Chuck Bass. You have your ways." She huffed, collapsing into a chair.

He nodded once, accepting her conclusion with amusement. He sat down a chair away, close enough to come to the Rhodes-Van der Woodsen-Humphrey clan should they need comfort or anything else he could provide.

"This time it wasn't my first priority to find your whereabouts."

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and turned her face away.

"Well, like I said, it was nice of you to come."

"You too," he remarked after awhile. "It was especially generous of you to kiss your best friend's ex right in front of her."

Blair's hair whipped around her as she spun to look at Chuck, her eyes intent and furious. At first, she was speechless.

"Serena's okay with it," she finally managed, stumbling through her words.

"Really?" Chuck asked, amused and obviously doubtful. He relaxed into his chair. "She's okay with you dating the guy she's still in love with?"

"We're not _dating_."

"But you would be if this dowry wasn't in the way, wouldn't you?" he dared.

"Serena just wants me to be happy," she insisted, starting to feel the need to defend herself.

He nodded slowly. "Yes, she would sacrifice just about anything for your happiness, wouldn't she?"

Her eyes narrowed. "What are you implying?"

"I'm just saying it's a shame it doesn't work both ways."

She shook her head at him, disgusted.

"It's not like that."

He raised his eyebrows.

"I told her I wouldn't get involved with Dan if she didn't want me to. The last thing I want to do is hurt her."

He smiled slowly. "Right. Because _telling_ her how much you'd sacrifice doesn't give the impression you'd be unhappy if you actually went through with it."

"I'd do anything for her," she insisted.

He shrugged. "If you say so."

She scoffed and angrily crossed her legs over each other, muttering something unrecognizable under her breath. This was supposed to be a mourning time where she was comforting Serena for her soon-to-be loss of a relative (probably), not a barking debate with Chuck who was remaining irritatingly calm for just having seen her kiss his mortal enemy – _who had been nothing but a friend to him_, she reminded herself.

It occurred to her then, after she'd calmed down somewhat, that their entire conversation revolved around her PDA with Dan and how it would affect Serena. Chuck had said nothing in regards to her choosing Dan over him. In his mind it had clearly been established that she would. She was crushed. It should have irritated her that Chuck knew her so well that he knew what her decision would be from the uncertain tone she'd had in their phone call alone, but it didn't. It broke her heart. After how much she'd showed she loved him and how much he'd fought for her and become the man she always knew he could be, here she was on the brink of leaving him for a friend she'd kissed once…well, now it was many times, but it really began after that one kiss on Valentine's Day.

She wondered if Chuck knew about that kiss. Her insides clenched at the thought.

"I didn't say I knew for sure…" she said hesitantly.

He didn't look at her. In fact, he looked away.

"I know," he said.

It hurt inside. It hurt her to know that she was hurting him so badly. And what was worse was the nagging feeling that if she let _something_ go, she wouldn't be hurting either of them.

"I do love you," she said softly.

He turned to her now, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Do you?"

"Yes," she said with brutal honesty. "After everything, how could I not?"

He pursed his lips and swallowed.

"You've conveniently decided not to in the past."

"Usually because you did something to mess it up," she accused.

He nodded. "But not this time."

Her face fell. "No," she whispered. "Not this time." She watched as he looked away and the heartbreak took over his face. She had hurt him. Badly. She was hurting Serena too, whether she would admit to it or not. "I'm just…confused." She sighed, and he turned back to look at her.

"What confuses you?" he asked, his voice cracking. "That your feelings for Dan literally came out of nowhere or that Serena seems perfectly okay with you dating the love of her life."

"I'm not-"

"_Someday_," he clarified.

She held her tongue and looked down at her frozen, sweaty fingers.

"Maybe not," she offered weakly.

His eyes scowled at her. "Don't pity me, Blair. If you want Dan, and not me, just say so."

She spun in her seat. "I said I was confused! That's _all_." Her eyes narrowed. "I also told you that hurting Dan would only push us closer together. Tormenting me with how much you disapprove is almost exactly the same thing."

She was extremely close to poking him in the chest with her finger.

"That wasn't what I was doing, and you know it."

She scoffed and walked over to him, crossing her arms across her chest. "You were trying to make me feel guilty. Admit it."

"Alright," he said. "I admit it."

She pouted, clearly not expecting him to say it straight out.

"Someone has to make you see the light, and Serena's too fragile and sensitive to do it straight out."

She took a step back as he stood up and starting walking towards the hall towards the rest of the family.

"Maybe she just loves me more," she taunted, trailing behind him.

"Impossible," he said simply, slipping his hands into his pockets and refusing to look at her.

"You sound very sure of that."

"Because I am," he said, finally turning to look at her. "With all due respect to your long-lasting friendship, and my extremely protective nature towards my sister, Serena hasn't saved you from a gas explosion in a building that was purely her own. She hasn't let you go a million times over for the simple reason that she didn't feel she was worthy of you, and the most significant reason? She hasn't completely turned her life around solely because losing you made her lose all touch with any emotion that ever existed."

She was frozen, her lips quivering and her eyes watering as she watched him, listening to his every word carefully. Even when he looked away again, she couldn't remove his eyes from him. Not if she wanted to. She felt so much shame. His brutal honesty echoed in her ears with the heavy, loud pounding of her heartbeat.

"Don't tell her I said that," he said. "What you two have is extraordinary." He spared her a glance. "It just doesn't measure up."

"You…" she swallowed hard. "You didn't tell me you lost all feeling."

He sighed. "You'd just told me you were pregnant, that the baby wasn't mine and that a part of you wished it was." He looked up at her. "I didn't think it was appropriate."

He was so wonderful. So unbelievably wonderful. Dan was too, but it was her denial to see all the good in Chuck that was making her sway more in the opposite direction. She was afraid of being hurt again, and Dan had been so good to her in the last year. He'd been there for her every second, been the best friend she needed when Serena wasn't around.

She had never let Chuck be that, because they had never _worked_ as friends after their first time together. It was enemies or lovers. There was no in between. Sometimes it was both, but there was no middle ground.

"I choose you," she said on a soft sigh, sounding almost surprised by her confession.

He turned to look at her, unsure if he'd heard her correctly.

"Whatever I feel for Dan is based off of gratitude and the fact that he likes me."

"He _loves_ you," Chuck said, needing her to know before she made her final decision.

"It doesn't matter." She offered a small smile. He remained to be convinced. "Even if I do like him just a little, it doesn't compare."

"Blair." He turned away and shook his head. "I can't share you. I _can't_." His stare was heavy and intense when he looked at her. "Either you like him, or you don't."

"I don't love him," she said. "I couldn't."

"Because he's Serena's," he concluded. "Even in your refusal to admit that being with Dan would hurt her, you still acknowledge that you could never love him. You give her that decency."

"Because he's not you," she corrected softly. "Being with you…" she sighed and shook her head. A tiny smile graced her lips when she thought of the past happy moments she'd shared with Chuck. She looked down at his twitching fingers before gazing back up into his eyes. "_You're_ the one I never want to leave."

His heart soared. It throbbed. He glowed. Then hesitantly, and very carefully, making sure he hadn't imagined the entire scene, he leaned towards her, bent his head and kissed her. He sighed contentedly against her lips.

"It's still a year," he said quietly. "You could change your mind. I'll still wait for you."

His vow made her love him even more.

"I know. But I won't." She smiled softly, wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and kissed him again.

When Cece finally passed, they were both with Serena and the entire family. _Together_ they helped Serena _and_ Lily get through the night.

The next day, Blair met Dan for lunch and told him the situation. He was confused, hurt and a little angry by her abrupt change in feelings. He blamed it on the possible guilt for hurting Serena or maybe Chuck manipulating his actions and words. Blair was a little worried herself before the encounter. She was afraid that when she saw him, all the feelings she'd felt for him would come rushing back and she'd only feel guilty that Chuck wasn't the only one who had a hold on her heart.

But it didn't happen. She saw him and there was nothing. _He_ was the one she felt guilty for. And when it was all over she felt incredible relief. Everything would be okay, whether Dan chose to be her friend again or not.

…

_One year later…_

He was waiting on her doorstep the day the divorce papers came, and he came again when she got the notice that the divorce was officially finalized.

"It's done," she said simply, a smile creeping onto her lips.

He relaxed visibly from where he sat watching her every move at the kitchen table.

"What now?" he asked, a little unsure of how to proceed.

"Now…" she began, flirtatiously moving towards him, hips swaying even as Chuck's eyes were still glued to hers. "We're equals." She pulled his chair out a little and straddled him in his seat. Slowly his hands gripped her hips and chills went through both of them when she sunk her lips into his for the first time in over a year. He moaned quietly.

"We are?" he teased lightly.

Her smile was contagious. "Mhm. Better watch out, Bass. I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

"Agreed." He bit her lip gently and she kissed him hard. They moved up to the bedroom before too many items of clothing were removed. For Dorota's sake.

Dan read about Blair and Louis' divorce in the paper. Alone. On Valentine's Day.

…..

A/N: I'm sorry, I just couldn't figure out another way out of the dowry this time around. Hope you still enjoyed it. ;p


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